MAGISTRATE'S OBSERVATIONS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 20 December 1913, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S OBSERVATIONS.

"AUCKLAND, Dec. 20. Mr Fraser, S.M., in giving his decision in the Semple case, said that no doubt the words used by the accused i were a direct incitement to strikers to meet force by force, without regard to j the reasons which might justify the au- j thorities in the use of armed force. He! could not accept the view of the de- j fendant that be had only been advising j the use of violence in the event of an nr-law** 1 exercise of force N*ir u*a against the strikers. The keynote of the speech was the issue of batons to the special police in Wellington, and the disturbance that had taken place there earlier in the evening. The incitement Was clearly directed against the special. police, but in fairness to the defendant it must be said that the words complained of did not apply to the regular police, who, all through^ had been treated with respect by the strikers.