"A HOWLING MOB."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15141, 4 November 1912, Page 7

"A HOWLING MOB."

; WAIHI STRIKE TACTICS; l : T HE WORKERS INSULTED. $008 AND EGG-THROWING. V £ SATURDAY NIGHT SCENE. •gTKEET CLEARED BY POLICE. I fa iKtEGRAPH.-OWN CORRESPONDENT.] "'-■ ' . Waihi, Sunday. * " ■'itnwTOH jibed and jeered at daily, the ' ,/Sice force stationed at Waihi Lis shown ■■- Liable tact, not to say leniency in " ; En K with the strikers and womenfolk "'"••Soring- the demonstrations against the ■porkers. On Saturday night, however, the "'-flfljdians of law and order made it un••.'fflistakably clear that, if necessary, more V drastic measures would be resorted to, and 'the Iceson is not likely to be quickly forllll wtten by those concerned. . ••During the afternoon binds of men and -*emen gathered in the main street and fended to their heart's content at the workers who put in an appearance. Em- ' boldened, apparently, by the fact that the police contented themselves with seeing Stf nothing in the shape of violence ,■■■'• ocevrred, hundreds of strikers and women tonud out at night, followed the workers ' '• up and down the streets, jeering and callI ' ing out "scab," and adopting a distinctly • ! threatening and hostile attitude. Some ' eag-throwing was also indulged in, and about nine o'clock a frantic, howling mob, ' -gome hundreds strong, came- rushing up i.' the street in the wake of a well known ';'worker, against whom they have shown great bitterness. '>;.' It was then that the police, under the direction of Senior-Sergeant McKinnon, ;.;' look a hand in the proceedings. The ser- ' geant, accompanied by Sergeant Murphy V ! and two or three members of the force on ' " Bireftt duty, formed up at the corner of ; Seddon and Haszard Streets and ordered /.I tit mob back. For the moment the crowd deemed inclined to make an attempt to ■i .break through, but the little force stood ; : fine, and taking hold of the foremost J Strikers, pushed them back against the . | ciowd and gave them to understand that* 1 if they persisted they would have to put Hop ■ with the consequences. Then up If galloped half-a-dozen mounted police, folI -lowed Almost immediately by a detachment )- on foot;, some 70 strong. ,?:ii The order was given for the mounted * men to clear the street, and the response f| was prompt and effective. Seeing that the .police meant business', the strikers and - womenfolk, many of the latter with peramB Jbolatora and children, rushed pell-mell for % the Miners' Union Hall and other points &'of safely. In two or three minutes the 1 street was practically bare, but for the 1 jjolice. ■■■■ '' The startling rapidity with which, the ;*whole force was concentrated, and the ; movement executed, staggered the strikers, I •and reflected the utmost credit upon Serw geaat McKinnon, his fellow-ofScern, and | file men under their charge. Happily no|f' one was injured, the route was: complete "tad the victory bloodless. Wi Having had a taste of what might be '.'■ ,«pected in the event of their being II foolish enough to compel the police to mors stringent measures in- dealing 11 with them, the strikers are not now likely ■. to,court a collision. In fact, Saturday !g night's incident should go far towards ;;,clearing the atmosphere.