WAIHI STRIKE INCIDENTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15808, 5 July 1913, Page 12

WAIHI STRIKE INCIDENTS.

OLD HISTORY REVIVED.

DEATH OF EVANS. THE HUNTLY AFFAIR, (From Our. Own- Cobeesponmnt.) WELLINGTON, July 4. Incidents connected with last year's strike were brought up in the House this afternoon by Mr J. Robertson, member for Otaki.

Mr Robertson opened his remarks by referring to the riot which resulted in the death of Evans on November 12. Ho declared ' that from the previous Saturday until the Tuesday the men who were working in the mines were clearly given to understand that they were at liberty to attack the strikers, and that they would be backed up by the police in doing it. The blame for the death of Evans rested upon the shoulders of those who were responsible for the administration of law and order in Waihi. He had photographs in his possession which proved that the tactics that had been followed were altogether provocative' of disorder.\ He also criticised the action of the Government in regard to the inquest on Evans. It was quite impossible at that time to retain an unbiassed coroner or jury at Waihi, but the Minister of Justice had. declined to grant a request for, a change of venue. He went, on to say that at the inquest all the evidence tended to show that. Evans met his death by means of the blow from the constable's'baton. He also referred to the subsequent exodus of tho Federationists from Waihi. It had been stated that these men need hot have left Waihi, but what were they to do when a body of men accompanied by the police visited their houses' and gave them 48 hours' notice to leave the town? . THE HUNTLY INCIDENT. Mr Robertson also referred to the sending of a large force of police to Huntly, and said that there was no occasion for it, and that it was calculated to provoke and not to avoid disorder. No disturbance had occurred before the police were sent there except the throwing of two eggs and the alleged tliowing of one brick. Inspector Mitchell had admitted to hiin (Mr Robertson) on liis arrival that he was afraid that the presence of .the polico would create trouble. He paid a tribute to Mr Mitchell for the tact that he displayed in keeping the constables in plain clothes and out of the township. There was no arrest, not even for drunkenness, during the time that the polico were there. JOHNSTON'S CASE. Proceeding, Mr Robertson referred to the committal of Johnston to the Auckland Mental Hospital when he was perfectly sane, and he alleged that this was due to the action of the police, who wanted to get the man out of the way. The Minister of Justice, (the Hon. A. L. Herdman): Do you say that was done by the police ? Mr Robertson : I do.

Mr Herdman: I give that an empha.tic denial. You yourself were playing tho part of a detective at Waihi. Mr Robertson: I was not, I merely went to Waihi to inquire ;nto the matter. Mr Herdman: You tdld me yourself that you wearo eavesdropping. Mr Robertson: I pive that an absolute contradiction. All that I have said was that I was standing in an hotel doorway when the Crown Solicitor (Mr Mays) and the coroner (both of whom knew ]j wm present) ridiculed the evidence that was being given at the inquest on Evans, and spoke as if tho verdict was a foregone conclusion. " I ask whether the Government is going to assist in the forming of bogus unions against legitimate workers' organisations., The Minister of Labour (Mr Masseyj himself knows that the union formed at Huntly was a bogus one." Mr Majsev: I do not.

Mr Robertson asserted that the union was a creature of the employers, and stated that it was a fact that the cost of forming the union wap defrayed by a director of the company.