SHORT SHRIFT GIVEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15520, 30 January 1914, Page 7

SHORT SHRIFT GIVEN.

DEALING WITH AGITATORS SHIPPED OFF TO ENGLAND. . ' . . V- t-V •' 1. . APPEAL COMES TOO LATE. OPINION OF THE JUDGE. . xMARTIAL. LAW RELAXED. AUSTRALIANS QUIT AFRICA. By Telecraph.— Association—Copy (Received January 29, 8.5 p.m.) Capetown, January 29. The ten Labour leaders who have "been deported are Watson, Poutsma, Bain, Mason, Crawford, Waterston and Kendall, all prominent Socialists, and Cockerall, Livingstone, and« Morgan. : The men were taken with the greatest secrecy by a strong escort of police through Natal, and put aboard the Umgeni, which sailed at ' midnight.

The deportation was carried out' via Natal because mSrtial law continues in operation there. Parliament will grant indemnity for the act next week. Measures will be taken to prevent a return of the deported menResponsible To the Citizens. . Sir J. Wessels, at a sitting of the Supreme Court at Pretoria, yesterday, declined to grant an order restraining the Government from deporting the men on the ground that he, had insufficient evidence. He advised counsel to apply to the full Supreme Court. " The Government is acting under the 22nd clause of the Immigration Regulation Act of 1913. . When the application for an injunction was renewed at the Supreme Court, the departure of the deported men was announced, and the .Court allowed the de&>rtbd men's counsel to apply for an attachment against the officials concerned for contempt of CourtJudge Wessels regretted that he had .not sufficient information on Tuesday, or he said he would have granted an order restraining the Government, -"from = . deporting the men. If the Government chose to use force to commit an illegal act, no Court could stop it. The Government was acting in an invalid manner if it locked up the men and refused them their rights as citizens to appeal, but the Government's use of force was a, matter for which they were responsible to the citizens. •* . Exodus From the Country. : f .

| Benoni is now the only place ex- ; cept for Natal Vhere - martial • law hias not been relaxed. Many strik- | era are applying for permits to leave the- country^ There are. many Australians • among . the number. - The position elsewhere is normal.- • General Smuts, reviewing ..the Civilian Defence F.orce r - and 2000 special - constables yesterday ,at.. Johannesburg. said that; the 'July out-' break- had been a severe' lesson • of what anarchy meant. * The citizens were ■ determined that no repetition of such lawlessness should occur, - and. as a result there had been perfect order without shedding a drop j of blood- , ' ■ . / instructions by .car. ~ - ■RIGID CENSORSHIP. ; Times-Sydney Sun. Special Cable. • (Received January 29, 5.40 p.m.) London, January 29. . The Daily Mail says that the instructions regarding the deportations were sent to Durban from Pretoria by, motor-car, the Government not trusting . the telegraph or telephone. The steamer was stopped while loading her cargo. Everywhere were police with fixed bayonets. Detectives accompanied the deportees to the train- They looked crestfallen, wistful, and ,unnerved when'they went aboard. All carried their small belongings, and parcels in their pockets. One defiant note was their scarlet ties and mufflers. They were given two hours, to write letters to their families. , The troops remained on the ship till she was outside the , harbour. Telegrams relating to the deportation were refused transmission ,• to Johannesburg, by the censor, and the newspapers have been, forbidden to make ax#: editorial references., The . Colonial Office was not informed beforehand though the facts were, known in London before they were known in Africa. USE OF ARMED FORCE. CHORUS OF DISAPPROVAL. London, January 29. The Labour Conference at Glasgow yesterday condemned the Soutß African Government's suppression of trade unionism by armed force as a violation of the elementary rights of citizenship. The conference demanded the immediate recall of Viscount Gladstone (GovernorGeneral of the Union of South Africa).. Mr. Keir Hardie (Labour M.P. for Merthyr Tydvil), pointed out that an Act of Indemnity required the King's signature, and Viscount Gladstone could refuse to sign until it was sent home for consideration; "Plain Declaration of War." The Daily News says the South African deportations are a plain declaration of war against all labour organisations- The . Government's action proclaims that workmen in attempting to secure an improvement in their economic position put themselves outside the shelter of the law. Workers bred under British traditions cannot sit tamely under such a system. The Daily Chronicle says the deportation is a grievous blunder, and. I that for every man deported a dozen

will:arise. General Botha and South" Africa are affronting • liberal opinion throughout the . world. V Labour .will' be aghast 'at the spectable of good men and true'doing, what looks like the dirty work of, the remorseless and pitiless capitalists ' "of. the Rand. r' Hot Wanted in Britain. ' The Standard says that reasonable people .would' not raise-objec-tions to the deportations except on the score that the men deported were not particularly wanted in Great, Britain. ' . ' ' • - : . Mr. L. Harcourt'(Colonial Secretary) has refused to receive a deputation, saying that the matter is solely within the competence of the Union Government, but he promised to obtain particulars of the affair from Viscount GladstoneMr. Brownlie, • the , chairman of the Amalgamated Engineers' Society, announced that all the officials in South Africa have-been arrested and the books and funds confiscated, so they are unable to cable funds to South Africa for fear of confiscation. Gravity of the Situation. Sir Harry Poland, in -an interview to-day, said at first ; sight it made one's blood boil to think of 10 respectable members of' the Labour Party being banished as such. Therefore, he was inclined to think there was truth in the statements about a conspiracy' to upset the Government and establish a Labour republic. . • / The Times says the gravity, of the situation lies in the fact that the Government legislature and electorate of South Africa apparently approve of an administrative step which is certain to provoke .the strongest resentment amongst large and powerful classes in the electorate at Home and possibly the electorates of the other Dominions. "The deportation is' the .most startling event that has yet, occurred to reveal our want of common policy in dealing - with Imperial problems which affect more than one. self-gov-erning community." ■ Labour Leader's Opinion. | Mr. Ramsay Macdonald " declares that the cynical conclusion of South African war as the result of spending £100,000,000 in money and thousands of lives _is that, trades union leaders are deported. If the unions brought out men suffering from industrial grievances, ,it would not be easy for the British M.P.'s to. intervene. It must be remembered that' South Africa was,» a.- self-governing colony, and any interference from Downing Street would be immediately resented," even by the victims of the : tyranny, but the British 'Labour Party can . raise the question' of Viscount Gladstone consenting to martial law. He had always thought that ' under the British flag there were certain inviolable rights and liberties, including , the ; right to strike and the right,, to picket, but he was now told that all- that was nonsense, humbug,, and moonshine. A self-governing . colony could ; make or mar the Empire's fair- name. ['■ ; -i; ! If there was no ituperial auth- " ority * invested with powers to stop I this sort of thing, it was about time- i 'they had it." " "If they are going to allow the ! self-governing colonies 'to ,'do' this, i we say candidly we would far rather ' they were under a foreign 1 Power.'.' | AUSTRALIAN PROTESTS. (Received January 30,.. 12.5 a.m.) i Sydney, January. 29. The Labour conference to-day adopted a resolution moved by Mr. Dick Meagher, protesting against the action of the South African Government 'in deporting the Labour leaders. •' . ■ The Australian Workers' ' Union' carried a similar motion, and also. a resolution strongly protesting against a : statement byMr. Glynn (Minister for External Affaire) that, if Maltese labourers came to the Northern Territory, they will'be welcome. This statement arose out of the' Empire Trade Commission's report suggesting tha suitability of Maltese. v