THE RAND RIOTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8480, 15 July 1913, Page 7

THE RAND RIOTS

“ A REAL BATTLE ” EYE-WITNESS “NEVER SAW A HOTTER CORNER.” By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright LONDON, July 13.

Tho “Daily Telegraph’s” Capetown correspondent states that the older officials, even those belonging to the Railway Society, are keeping their heads. They say they will refuse to he stampeded, but the Labour leaders at Pretoria believe that they have only to raise a finger and tho whole of tho railway systems will he paralysed.

Mr Moyler, a unionist and a member of the Union Parliament, was a witness of tho rioting. He considers the Government was seriously to blame for tactless handling of the whole situation. Ho confirms the tributes to the behaviour of the Dragoons, a small detachment of which, under the Earl of Airlie, held back a demented mob thirsting to destroy the Rand Club. The club and its inmates were in a most dangerous situation. The crowd was armed, and tho troops were potted at from all sides. It was not a riot, but a real battle. A difficulty was that numbers of men and women were looking on or abetting the rioters, regardless of risks. Armed rioters took cover -behind the crowd, and in some instances fired from round corners and- from housetops. Mr Meyler avers that tho military never once fired without giving full warning or until they had been fired at. Mr Meylor served in the South African War, and never saw a hotter corner, or troops behave better. The rioters included low class Dutchmen, foreign illicit liquor-sellers, and dangerous criminals. They did not respect the ambulance, and doctors and attendants were fired at.

STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER

CAPETOWN, July 13

General Botha, the Prime Minister, addressing his constituents, said the Government deplored the necessity for the use of force during the strike. However, it was the Government, not Lord Gladstone (the Governor-Gener-al), who was responsible for the employment of troops. All tho happenings at Johannesburg must not be attributed to the strikers. There was a large hooligan element, and this was blameaihle for a good deal of, the trouble. As a matter of fact, tho strikers were in a minority.

INCREASED PAY TO RAILWAY-

MEN.

CAPETOWN, July 13.

According to Mr J, W. Sauer, .Minister of Agriculture, half a million pounds has been paid to the railwaymen in increases of pay since the formation of the Union Government. Reuter’s Lisbon agent states that an agreement has been, reached between the Minister for the Colonies and the Witwatersrand Native Labour Association, for the recruitment of Mozambique natives.

LORD GLADSTONE DEFENDED

(Received July 14, 11.35 p.m.) CAPETOWN, July 14,

The whole of the South African press, irrespective of party, strenuously defends Lord Gladstone. The “ Vdlksstem” emphasises that peril was threatening for some hours when the natives were being encouraged to make common cause with the whites.