DISTURBANCES AT DOCKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19320, 6 May 1926, Page 9

DISTURBANCES AT DOCKS.

FOOD DESTROYED BY FIRE. STRIKERS' WANTON ACTION. POLICE INFLICT CASUALTIES. ROUGH MOB AT BLACKWALL. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received 7.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON, May 4. Twenty persons were injured in a baton charge by the police at the East India Dock. Strikers attacked some Government food lorries, women taking part in the attack. A special force of police was sent to restore order, but the strikers had previously set the lorries on fire and destroyed their contents. ! There were also strange scenes at Black 1 wall Tunnel. The dock workers there captured the entrance and stopped every car and lorry as it went to and came from the tunnel and examined tho contents. Only those which contained food and essential supplies were allowed to pass. .Passengers were compelled to dismount and if any opposition was shown, the drivers were ordered to turn back. Any cars which attempted to force a passage were overturned. Numbers of cars suffered in this way and the inmates were roughly handled. A force of police, including some mounted men, was on duty, but, beyond seeing that there was no undue violence, adoptod a passive attitude. The police officials in the East End say they are convinced that tho Blackwall disturbance was not due to bona fide trades unionists, who are most orderly, but to roughs who are operating in small gangs. The task of the police was most difficult owing to wasp-like tactics of the hoodlums. Large drafts of foot and mounted men were sent to the district, however, and broke up the gangs. The police are shepherding lorries past the danger pomt. At Southampton the Mauretania could not secure dock labourers, so the office staff of the Cunard Line took off their coats and moored the ship. They carried the baggage of the 250 passengers ashore and afterwards discharged 3500 bags of mails. The passengers left for London in motor-coaches and private cars. SETBACK TO STRIKERS. guardians refuse relief. NO CREDIT IN LEICESTER. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Heed. 9.35 p.m.) LONDON. May 4. The Southampton Board of Guardians announces that no relief will be granted for families of strikers who have refused to work. The Leicester co-operative and wholesale houses have refused to give credit to strikers. This decision is regarded as a set-back to the strikers. ALL RACES ABANDONED. decision at conference. INDEFINITE SUSPENSION. v Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 8.55 p.m.) LONDON. May 4. A joint conference of stewards of the English Jockey Club and tho National Hunt Committeo decided that owing to the difficulty of carrying out race meetings under the existing conditions all meetings should be abandoned until further notice. This decision does not apply to the Chester meeting which is now in progress. INTERNATIONAL SOCCER. TWO matches postponed. Australian and N.Z.»Cable Association. (Reed. 8.55 p.m.) LONDON, May 4. Two international Association football matches, England v. Belgium and England v. France, which were arranged for next Saturday and May 13 respectively, have been postponed. CHARGE of sedition; communist arrested. A SPEECH IN HYDE PARK. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 9.35 p.m.) LONDON, May 4. Shapurji Saklatvala, Communist member of Parliament for Battersea, was quietly arrested at his home in Higbgate under the Emergency Powers Act, and charged with making a seditious speech in Hyde Park on Sunday. It is alleged that in his speech he said: " The young men in the forces are our class. Whether Sir William Joynson Hicks likes it or not, or calls it feditidn, we have a duty to tell these young men that they must lay down their arms and revolt and protect the people instead of the rogues and fools whom the Union Jack has been harbouring for years." Defendant was remanded unit} Thursday. He undertook to refrain from further speeches.