MAIMING NON-UNIONISTS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 11 April 1912, Page 2

MAIMING NON-UNIONISTS.

CIRAVE CHARGE IN BRISBANE. ALLEGED AUSTRALIAN METHODS. Startling evidence was given in Brisbane recently in a case in which a man named Munro was charged with inciting certain unionists to do grievously bodily harm to non-unionists. According to the evidence, something always "happened' to those who stood out of the union ranks. A police constable stated that defendant had, in the course of a speech to a meeting cf strikers, said -"I tell you. as unionists that you are justified in forcing non-unionists to join your unions. When I was in Broken Hill I asked old miners how it was everyone there belonged to a union. 'Boy.' said an old man. 'if a man refures to join, and we exhaust all moral suasion, and he still decline? to-join, he meets with an accident.' In Sydney I put a similar question to a wharf-labourer. The wharf-labourer said : 'We ask a man to join the union. If he persists in declining to join, then something happens him. Something seemrt to fall on him, or he gets pushed overboard.' " The defendant continued : —"I say. if a man will not join a union, we are justified in dealing with him as the Broken Hill miners and the -Sydney wharf-labourers do—drop something on him. give- him a poke, or push him overboard. If a girl refuses to join a union, put something in her -way so that she fall over it and break her neck. If you happen to be working alongside a man who has been a special constable, don't forget to treat him as the Sydney wharf[abourers treated the non-unionists." Munro was found guilty, with a recommendation to mercy, of using seditious language, and was sentenced to six months' hard labour. Mr. Justice Rutledge. in passing sentence, said that extremists were always dangerous to whatever cause they attached themselves. He was quite sure that the majority of unionists would repudiate with shame and disgust such septimcnts as the accused expressed. The sentence was suspended until certain len-al points have been decided by the Full Court. Munro was granted bail in £350.