DASTARDLY DEEDS IN DUBLIN.

NZ Truth, Issue 437, 8 November 1913, Page 8

DASTARDLY DEEDS IN DUBLIN.

INDUSTRIAL IRELAND IN REBELLION. BOSS MURPHY'S BLOW— UK ABOUT IARKIN. Five Hundred People Injured— Free Speech Prohibited— Leaders Sent to Gaol.

During the past few months there has been considerable industrial upheaval m Dublin, Ireland, -brought about by the uncompromising attitude of tile employers of various seer tions of the Dublin workers, led by W. M. Murphy, towards the men's organisations and leaders. So far, no New Zealand paper has given a fair or full account of what has taken place m the Irish capital, and the causes that have led up to the trouble. The man who is bearing all the odium on the side of the men is Jim Larkin, secretary 'ol the Transport Workers* Union. Last week's cables informed us that he had been sentenced to seven months' imprisonment, .but no fair or full account of the charge upon which he was'convicted has been cabled out. It will surprise many good people to know that the charge against Larkin was that he was gtrflty of seditious libel and conspiracy m agreeing and acting together for the criminal purpose of Holding a meeting for tbe purpose of disturbing' the public peace and raising discontent and dissatisfaction amongst his Ma- , jesty's citizens of Dublih, and discontent and hatred between certain classes of his Majesty's subjects. A charge sufficiently broad, "Truth" fancies, to include many betterknown men than Jim 'Larkin. As we pointed out a week or two ago, industrial- issues m Ireland

have been eclipsed and made subservient to the question of Home Rule. The sting of national sentiment was touched and harped on for all it was worth, until every other question was obscured or altogether lost sight of. Synchronising with the consummation of the Homo Rule agitation, the steady development of Capitalism has forced other issues to the frontr-which have long been crying for redress. Among the few who have pioneered the Trade Union movement m that distressful country, Jim Larkin stands out the peer of them all. In Dublin alone ho has done more for the workers of all ranks than the greatest British Labor leaders havo done each for his particular trade or calling. The conditions of the tramway men m the employment of Loss Murphy, the great Dublin capitalist (says the Glasgow "Forward"), are scarcely believable. The men got 4a ed A DAY OP TWELVE HOURS. Murphy also owns tho "Independent" newspaper, big drapery shops, has controlling .railway interests, trams m Madrid and Paisley, and is th« groat capitalist par excellence. Gradually the Labor struggles m Dublin have narrowed down to a big class contest; on the one hand wo have tho working class beaded by Jim Larkin, and, on the other, tho federated and" massed capitalist class, headed by Murphy, who has also strong influence on the Government. Murphy first organised tho employers, and then began sacking every known member of the Transport Workers' Union from overy kind of employment that * tbe Murphy gang controlled. Lnrkin knew Murphy would have the military and police on hla side; that the mibsldlaed | press would play tbo' Capitalist game unscrupulously; that press cables would be controlled; and, that the Mnrphy growp had unlimited money. i Larkin also knew that he would have to battle for Labor on an attenuated excheqwer, and that at the first stroke for Labor every working cl&as leader would be arrested with or without . warrants. Larkin was given powpr by hh» organisation to call a general strike against the Murphy Interests, at whatever moment he chose. This he did; imd was promptly arrested nnd charged with "wcrrora- to class hathkd" and "Inciting ngn lnst the Oov«smment." Ab»o, Jim Connolly, the Irish correspondent of tbe "Forward,"' who hoa taken Larkin's jiJbcp as secretary while the latter Is In Kaol. Councillor rortridge.^ ami »*ven other**, wore arrested. Newsboys were arretted for "intimidating" tho suk- of Murphy's NittionalIst paper. A woman. Mrs. Kosanna Kennedy, described by the "Freeroan's Journal" tm "a respectablelooking woman, who stood m the

dock -holding an infant m her arms," was ..gi\*_ci twenty-one days without the option of a fine by Magistrate Swifte for, throwing a loaf of bread at a blackleg. The j gauntlet had been thrown down. War had been declared. LARKIN'S MANIFESTO. But, before Larlrin was arrested, he had issued a manifesto which was widely placarded on the -walls of Dublin:— "We regret the inconvenience caused by the withdrawal of the men who worked the trams. There would have been no intention on the part of the Union or. the men affected to do anything to inconvenience the public during the present show week, but owing to the action of William Martin Murphy, the chairman of the D.U.T.C, m dismissing some 300 men for no justifiable reason — there being no demand made on 'the Company for wages or conditions— the . men were compelled to ■ take action m defence of their rights. Mr. W. M. Murphy .... is president of tho Chamber of Commerce, which body is at present engaged m forming a Conciliation Board to alleviate trade disputes. This act of the Chamber of Commerce president will prove to any man, woman, or child with an interest m Dublin'B welfare the kind of employer Dublin workers have to submit to." This manifesto denounced Mr. W. M. Murphy, Alderman Cotton, M.P., Mr. Joseph Mooney, J.P., and Colonel Vesey, of Lucas, on whom it sought to throw the responsibility for the lock-out. It concluded with an appeal to the public sympathy and support, asked the public not to patronise the cars, and showed that Mr. Murphy and his friends had made £l«0,O0O IN SIXTEEN YEARS oat of a private monopoly, and at the expense of the ratepayers. It stated that the tramway "slaves" of Dublin worked, two hours a day longer than the Belfast tram men, and received 30 per cent, less wages. The manifesto closed by demanding the reinstatement of the dismissed men unconditionally, improved wages, shorter hours, and the right of appeal against the secret reports of inspectors. Cars were now held op m the streets and Murphy's blacklegs, assisted by the police, had a desperate time of It. At ... p.m. at night, every car had to be taken off. On tike second night of the strike, Larkin addressed a huge crowd, and said:— "I woofcd advise the friends and supporters of this cause to take Sir Edward Carson's advice to the men of Ulster. If he says it is right and legal for the men of Ulster to arm, why should it not be right and legal for the men of Dublin to arm themselves, so as to protect themselves ? You will need it. I don't offer advice which Lam not prepared to adopt myself. You know me, and you know when I say a thing I will do it. So arm, and I*ll arm. You have to face hired assassins. If Sir Edward Carson Is right In telling the men of Ulster to form a Provisional Government m Belfast, I think I must jbe right, too. In telling you to form a Provisional Government m Dublin. But whether you form a Provisional Government or not, you will require arms, for Aberdeen has promised Murphy not only the police, but the soldiers; and my advice to you Is, whenever one of your men is shot, shoot two of theirs." (Cheers.) Larkin wns then arrested, and was let out on ball. Then Mr. Swifte. the Chief Divisional Magistrate, proclaimed the prelected Sunday demonstration as illegal, Larkin followed thin announcement up wtth an appeal to the citizens to cease paying rent; he also pubtlcly burned Swtfte'a proclamation and announced that, dead or alive, he would address the Sunday demonstration m O'Connell-street. THE POLICE BRUTALITY. It was on stray sections of this crowd returning boms quietly that the police seal to execute their dastardly orders, was first manifest. According to the "Freeman's Journal" (antl-Lerkin), the police, unprovoked, rushed m gangs of twenty at peaceable civilians, knocking them down with their truncheons; even un-uni formed detectives were battered. MURPHY'S LIES. Thon. on Saturday, while the police were searching high and low for Larkin. Murphy's weekly newspaper, the Irish "Weekly independent," came out with n dirty, lying attack upon Larkin, and Murphy himself gave one bowl of exultation which, unfortunately for himself, gave away his whole motive and case. Said he; I think I have broken the malign influence of Mr. Larkin nnd set him on the run. It is now up to the employers to keep bim going. On the Sunday, oa all the papers have reported. Larkin mado a dramatic appeanince on the balcony of one of Murphy's hotels, briefly addressed the crowd, and, owing to the kitchen door being barred, was { unable to make bis exit by a hack j entrance before the police rushed m. I The police, by tho way, senrchod Murphy's hotel for Larkin at 1 1 I a.m,, so that they must have hod | some inkling of what was going to happen. THE CARNAGE OUTSTDE. Outsldo hell was let loose. The police, without tho slightest provocation, rushed upon unoffending spectators, clubbed, batoned and ; kicked them. 'J"wo were killed, nver j4QO were Injured. Here is pnrt of ; Monday's "Freeman*. Journal" d**j crlption (which, by the way, $ n - jcludes a tmapuhot showing the poj lice be toning men who aro lying on ! the ground). .Sow of the poller charged down I the *tre<.t toward* O'Connell Dridg*, j and other* rushed the people Into i JMnee's«strtxst. Her* they wer* met j by a largo body of police which wore | it. tencrro m PriaMce-'s-stroct, and for

a few minutes a sows of terrible ex- ! cKemoat and Tiolenoe prevailed. The people ss they rushed were vigorous- j ly batoned from all sides, and m a I few minutes as many as twenty j people were bleeding on the ground j at one tins. A youth, who wns m the middle of the charge was knocked down just at the oomer of the Post Ottos. Ho managed to get to his feet* sxxl just as he did so be was surrounded by four or five oan- , stables, who piled their batons on him again, and followed bim up tbe fltreot past the Post Office. The dramatic suddenness of the whole aflair waa such that everyone m O'Gonnellstreet was taken by surprise. Larkin sought to address the crowd, but the police rushed bim down Sackvilleplace to tbe police station. Cheers and groans were raised. Immediately the police drew their batons and a terrific charge ensued, when men and women wero beaten indiscriminately. Soon thero were scores of people scattered all over the street lulng on the ground, their hands to their heads and bleeding from the wounds Inflicted. Mr. Handel Booth, Liberal MJP. for Pontefrnct, who Is no Wend of the organised working class, and who Is up to the neck In Insurance, Property, etc.. has mads the following statement*— "I tun not to a posftlon to speak of the necessity or otherwise for th* charge on the crowd, bot I cannot., under any circumstances, understand why people, when lying on the ground, should be kicked. Count MarkSevies, another ayswitness, makes the seme charge m stronger tonus.