THE New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). MONDAY, JUNE 15, 1891.

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 9320, 15 June 1891, Page 2

THE New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY).

MONDAY, JUNE 15, 1891.

With which arc incorporated the Wellington Independent, established 1845, and the Nets Zealander,

Who poisoned the water tank on Mitchell Downs Station in Queensland ? The contents of this tank, which was used to supply water to the boundary riders, has been found to be saturated with strychnine. Incredible as such a ferocious and cowardly crime may appear to bo in these days, such, nevertheless, is the statement contained in the Australian papers recently received. A bottle was filled from the water in this tank by a police sergeant; was sealed op and conveyed to Brisbane by a justice of the peace, by whom it was delivered to the Government Analyst. That officer tested its contents, and found the water poisoned with strychnine. The question is, says the Sydney Morning Herald, “ Who poisoned the water ? And that will be followed up by the further question, Who is likely to have done it? Shall wo look for the miscreants amongst the men whose interests lie on the side of peace, and who have been acting within their legal rights, or amongst those who have voluntarily taken op arms and entered upon a

course of lawlessness and violence ; or is ifc to be assumed that there is nothing here but the result of accident ?” It is hardly possible, by the greatest stretch of imagination, that such a thing could be accidental. People do not carry deadly poison with them by accident; or, if this were possible, and the poison accidentally dropped in, would not the first thing for an honest man to do be to give warning of the accident? It is a dreadful experience.

Perhaps Hr McDonald, the delegate of the strikers, may be able to explain the damnatory circumstance to such of the people of New Zealand as he may endeavour to induce to cast in their lot or subscribe their hard-earned means to support men engaged in revolt, assault, arson and —well, even now we hesitate to say it —poisoning water tanks. To do this latter is only a step further—a long step, thank Heaven ! but unhappily too pos sible—than other less villianous outrages which are recorded in the same paper as occurring in Queensland, A group of Unionists were destroying and burning fences along the main road from Charleville to Cunnamulla, some 70 miles distant from Charleville. A body of roughs assaulted a hotelkeeper at Mount Morgan and seriously injured him, besides damaging his premises, because the unfortunate man was one of the jury in tho recent trials at Rockhampton, where nineteen persons were convicted and sentenced to several years’ imprisonment for conspiracy and riot. We have more faith in the human decency and reason of even the extreme thinkers among the Unionists of this Colony than for a moment to believe that they will view such proceedings as those above narrated with any other feelings than those of abhorrence and repudiation. Since writing tho preceding sentences late cable news from Brisbane, which we publish this morning, notifies the gratifying fact that the shearers’ strike is practically at an end, and that after full consideration by the Strike Committee it is stated that the men will probably resume work in a few days. Every one will gladly welcome this intelligence both for the sake of the Unionists themselves and those dependent upon them. Not less welcome are these tidings on account of the welfare of the whole colony of Queensland, whose Government', that is the people, have suffered so severely by a depletion of the public Treasury to quell a disturbance which has proved so costly to all classes; seriously injuling trade and commerce, agriculture, and pastoral pursuits, and damaging tho credit of the colony in the money market. The Strike Committee acknowledge that they have been “ repulsed, but not defeated.” The repulse, as we have said, has been a very costly proceeding to all concerned. Now that peace has, apparently, been gained, the victors, who have suffered nob a little, are not likely to sing pseans of triumph. Rather lot the palm branch be extended where possible, and let the Strike Committee show wisdom and judgment in condemning all agitation which leads to illegal acts, endangering life and damaging property, and condemning their sympathisers in the eyes of all right thinking men.