LABOUR TROUBLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15608, 11 November 1912, Page 6

LABOUR TROUBLES.

EXCITEMENT AT WAIHL WORKERS ASSERT THEMSELVES. THE TABLES TURNED. (Per United Press Association.) WAIIII, November 10. A Bonicwki; c\<iung inoxlcni occurred on the Rtwcmouu road on aiiornoon, ar.siu-g out of an attempt on tlio part of two or three mounted union piukous lo lr/.crferr with a bu<tah of woi'teis who were_ making thoir way to tlio Wnilti Comjxiny's railway aigiae, wjiioh wu* waging to take them u> work. Tito pickets, with the apparent j(kxi of breaking up iJic chinchmiint of workere, rodo into thoir nuikj.. %Siucclj hnd thnir \wrxe, tejelud tlio first lino of workers when two moiiiutd oonk»Mcs dashed ;l! tJiem. The workims, art the ooi:aablft> iinti pickcts colli<led. momentarily broke Ihoir ranks. The rapid njid dexterous movement of t-hc police «x«.tcrcd lite piokot liorw men, a:id within lijf a minute of Ihe first onslaught tlio pickets won; in firll (light with the polioo close at their heels. It t.he grcat-rct rare witness*! on the public ftrecU for many a daw

As a sequel to the innovation of the pa.it fmv dwys of men marching in a body front their work some exciting eoenrs took place in tlio mail Kxivi during Saturday afternoon. Some 2(X) workew assembled in tlio thoroughfare, nfld later UNirohcd in iv lwdy through the innhi streets. In a short t:mo t.liey completely dominated tlio town, effectually silencing the federationists. It wm a meet extmodinary ri'vcrstl of the order of things. The Imraavd ami mtielt oppressed suddenly nnjcrted their rijrJrtfi ns o:tizens. nml so thoroughly that spectators wondered why Mtey hid not done so lons More. Their indenendej).t and sggrcffiivo attitude town.rds tlio federation,!stt trade them masters of a. tutiniion which lh<\v lwd not hitherto enjoyed, and i~ curious contract. to thai expcrlonccd for weeks past the workere congregated round the Keddon memorial, from which point of vantage aildreaies were given by members from their ranks. Loud and prolonged ohecrs greeted the K[K'«i);erS| and the girwit'Cht ei:thiis:isin prevailed. For moniJis p.i;ft the arUtrutioni«ts, or advocates of arbitration, ha.ve irerer iittcnipK-d lo give :l public addrcts, but on t.hii occasion t/pcaker after tipeakor giivo voice to ltj> bcliels wit.li every wirfiUence. SiKtviLus wtire al.o yiveii by ouie.-s wiho, though not nwinbcot, oixj iiuj)porteiti of the new union.

Mcauwltilo numerous clashes occurred, and individual cljfFt-rfjiecs ««ro settled by ft boui of litA-xnillti, but for the mot )urt they were shortlived owing to ikjlioo intodoronoc. The first scHo was occasioned by it federations culling n worker ;l "stub," Tin' former had pnolwbly used the epithet m the same manner with impunity many times before, but on this ocaurion rt was answered with a blow. N'oithor won skilled iii tho art of solfdvfenee, nuvt'itjicloti ! l»ey pummelled at fauli other until tlie polico pfijanMcd them. The next oontci* wag between " I'rtcr tho lVillU>r," ft -Maori of considerable butk but no ;o:oiieo, and n fedciratioKsi. The latter wis more than a match for him however. The polico btepped m before much blood wcfi fnilled. Two youths. oraig to tJio use of tho word " k.vi.li " were the next io u.p|>o:vr on tho programme. They sprang ai one Mother and punched ivit.li great vigour. Hoth were doing good work when Senior Sergeant Mnok-innon tin-nut his burly form between. them. " Peter the Painter." who adopted n. most conspiotions swagger, was them aga:n i-'i pviriciuv, lie got into some argument in front of the Union I bill, and was about to engage with br? enemy Then ha friend " the Cockney," a pugilist of Homo renown;, ejiot a fist on to the jaw of lilt; Tile latter went down and the affair ended. Liter "the Cockney" and " Slim Jim." a prominent federationist. had a battle royal, tho latter being temporarily knocked out The police altogether lwul a fairly busy time. Mcanwhilo tho unemployed section maintained for tlie most part a sullen silence, but when a band of workers made an attempt to enter the Miners' llall v contending that :is miners they lud a |x>rfect right to go into the building, the fodor.itionists sprang into activity. They objected to wlr-t tliey termed " scabs" entering tlie precincts of the hall, and closed the doors 011 the intruders. A number of federation women who wore clo?ed out. apparently alarmed at the attitude of the workvrs, knocked and calkxl loudly for admission. At this stajjo tho union eflieials applied to Commissioner Cullen for protection, whereupon tho commissioner called upon the workers to retire, at Uiesamo time instruct ing h.« men to son that this was done. However, the workers at onee retired, and started off up t.ho street cheering and Kingii g with great gusto. A littlo cfter 5 o'clock tilie cor.oourso kui dispersed.

In view of tho events of tho afternoon Ecmo excitement was anticiisitod in the evening, but with tho exception of the workers parading <ip and down tho pavements of either s:de of the main street, chenrii>g and singing snatches of songs, nothing of inomont happened. Tlk; two picture 9hows irero well attended, and there was no particular friction afterwards between the workws and federatio.nists.

TIME FOR ACTION .ARRIVED. SKIUOUG OUTLOOK FOR STRIKERS. (From Odb Owk Coiirkspondent.) AUCKLAND, November 10. The present position at Waihi may bo suminod up as critical in tJio extreme, cspeoially for tJm strikers. Deluded into believing tlmt they would win a light that, (-•very fane thinker recognised as hopolcts nlniost from tho first-, tl-tto misguided men tmd women lave blindly rushed to their fate. Dunne tho past few weeks tho mining companies have gradually Iwt surely increased their working staff) until now Uh> Waihi Company require* only 30 moro men for the next six montilis. 'Hiis in itself shows how vain is tlic hope that any of tho 200 or 300 strikers stiH in Waihi will ho reinstated in their jobs. Furthermore, tho arbitration's at work daily already greatly outnumber li>e fcvlerationisus, and tho former are now beginning to show a truculent front. Resentment at tho cowardly method., of the idlers in "boohooing" t4ic.ui awl railing them "scabs" has foiled ever. Tin l arbitrationists aro not in the mood lo tolerate any longer this sort of treatment. Their fighting Wood is up, and unless the fedorationista ocmio to their senses nothing is more certain thiin tli.it there will Im serious developments. On Saturday several fighte took place between tho workers and the loafers. Twice rioting was only prevented !>v tho interference of tho police. Tho latter ha-vo kept their tampers wondorfuHy, but they are growing restive. Mr C'ulkn. Cotmr.isrionor of Police, is onoe moro in chargo of the Police I'orco in the town, ami to him the public are looking for dceiaivo and. if necessary, drastic action t/> put a final stop to a scandalous state of affairs. The opinion is growing that one qr two good lnton charges would settle the matter, and some people an; bejinrting to ask why the authorities hesitate any lotiKor to thus restore order. Every day that tho fionziod strikers are allowed to " boolioo" and demonstrate m t hoy liko prolongs tii« trouble. The time has come for 11 lose who rule to cry. " Enough."

THE RKKFTON DEADLOCK. (Per United Press Association.)

REKF'ION". W/vemlxrr 10. Hio Miim' Union will hold u spwiial mooting to-night. It is oxpoct<y| that it will 1)0 a. late ow. No authentio has coino through. Messrs Winter. Evans, and Pryor returned from the north to-dav!