THE RECENT STRIKE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16003, 20 February 1914, Page 6

THE RECENT STRIKE

CHARGES OF SEDITION. YOUNG BEFORK THE COURT. (Put United Pittas Association.) WELLINGTON. February 19. Tho charge of sedition arising nut of tho recent strike of waterside workers which was prelc\rn>d ngainm William Thomas Young (president of tho New Zealand Federation ol Labour, and the secretary ot the Wellington Seamen's Union), was brought on in tho Supreme Court to-day before Ulie Chief Justice (Sir Robert Siout,). Mr P. S. Iv. Macassey represented the Crown, ;iml Messrs T. M. Wilford and V. ,). O'Regan appeared for accused. Tho indictment against Young was that, on October 26, 1913, at tho Basin Reserve, Wellington, in the presence of a largo crowd of waterside* workers then on 6triko and others, he did utter certain seditious words —namely, " I fl-ant to say that special constables arc being called, for a number of thorn wore marched to Nowtown depot last night. I want to say this: that if tho Police Force of th:s country is going to be utilised—l -know individual police don't want to bo used — but if the authorities of this country are going to use them to suppress the working class, I will undertake—we will undertake— to moss in this city of Wellington 10,000 or 15,000 armed men, ready to protect themselves as armed men. If tho police eonstaolo uses his baton to you give him one back, and if one won't do, make it a doubleheader. If wo have got to light tho Police Force and military, it lias got to be done in stylo and effectually. It is a very isisy nutter indeed. There arc ten or fifteen thousand men in support of you, and to protect you against the baton of tho police Authorities. If tho employers are not prepared to act in a conciliatory spirit, and if they put oh ' scabs' to work cargo, there will not bo a ship leaving this port, and, if needs be, there will not be a wharf _ fcr ' scabs ' to work on. Don't vou bo afraid of them. If I have got to incite the multitude I will incite them, and in a nropor manner,"or words to that effect.

Mr Wilford asked his Honor to note tvyo points which he wished to reserve the right of addressing the court on. They were: (1) That in the words charged in the indictment there is no offence under section 119 of the Crimes Act; and (2) autrefois convict (previous conviction). His Honor: Do you mean to say that he has been convicted on tho very ease? " And is in gaol at the very moment for it," said counsel. His Honor: Docs the Crown admit that? Mr Macasscv: No. Mr Macnssey asked leave to amend tho indictment by deleting the following words: "If a police constable uses his baton to vou give him one back, and if one won't do make it a double-, header." His Honor remarked: "Very well, there is no harm to the prisoner in withdrawing anything from an indictment." Mr Wilford: I must bow to your ruling, but I cannot agree " Counsel added that the Crown had lost its opportunity of amending the indictment by virtue of the fact that accused had already been charged, and been asked to plead on the indictment as :t stood. His Honor replied that he would note counsel's objection along with the other points raised.

In opening the case, Mr Macasscy submitted that they would have to consider the circumstances i-nder which the words were used. There was a strike, and scenes of disorder, which the police, being too few in number,, were unable lo prevent. The strikers were inllamed at the fact that special constables had been brought into the city, and several scenes of violence had occurred. It was not necessary to prove that a riot resulted from the use of the words. .The Crown had only to prove that the words were used, and that they were seditious.

Evidence was given by Charles Redman (reporter of the New Zealand Times), Harcus Plimmer (reporter of tho Dominion), and Leo S. Fanning (of the Evening Post editorial staff), as to the language used by Young on tho date mentioned. John Green and Arthur Kitching, shipping clerks, gave evidence as to the scents on the wharves prior to Young's speech. W. G. Riddell, stipendiary magistrate, gave evidence that Young had been convicted in the lower court, and sentenced to three months' imprisonment on a charge of inciting persons to resist the police in the execution of their duty. That sentence had not yet expired. The speech for which Young had been convicted was the same fpeech on account of which he was being tried to-day.

After four hours' retirement, the jury dis. agreed. A new trial was ordered for tho May sessions, Young to be released on bail of £100 at the completion of tho sentence of three months' imprisonment he is now serving. EMPLOYMENT ON THE WHARVES. MEETING OF SHIPOWNERS. (Pee United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, February 19. There have been several meetings of snipowners held' recently in Wellington, with a view to arranging for some uniform method by wh:ch priority of employment can be ensured to those waterside workers who joined the union before December 9. Many schemes were suggested, but it was finally arranged that a sub-committee should be set up, consisting of three persons, one representing the Wellington Harbour Board, and one representing other employers oi waterside labour, with an independent chairman. This committee will tabulate, day by day, the amount of employment and wages given to each class of labour, and act as a court of reference, to deal with all disputes between the foremen and tho waterside workers referred to above, and to consider them.

Arrangements are being made to bring the scheme into operation at an early date. The committee in question consists of Mr R. Fletcher (representative of the Harbour Board), Captain Evans (other employers), and Mr W. G. Foster (chairman). EMPLOYERS' SCHEME. UNION COMPANY STANDS OUT. A DIFFICULT POSITION. , (Fbom Oub Own Cobbkbpokdikt.) WELLINGTON, JTobruary 19. No definite information is available as> to the further development in the scheme proposed for the employment on the wharves of a force of permanent hands. Tho scheme as proposed was that all tho companies should guarantee this force of men, who would be engaged by all the companies jointly at a 6tated weekly wage, over and above which the men would be allowed to earn overtime.

It is reported, .however, that tho obstacle in the way of the consummation of the scheme is the unwillingness of the Union Steam Ship Company to come into it. The oversea companies are, it is believed, very anxious that the scheme should be put into operation with as little delay as possible. It may bo, however, £hafc the Union Company's action will prevent any effective arrangement on the lines proposed from being carried out, for it would mean that in the slack months of the year tho permanent hands would have very little work to do, and the burden on the oversea companies would be a very heavy one. They would still have to pay the men, and they would have very little shipping in tho ports to keep them occupied. Also, it is felt that the success of the scheme may bo jeopardised by the fact that if the big company stays out of it the others may not be able to employ such a largo permanent staff as will ensure the progress of wharf work without such interruption and disturbance as seems inevitably to occur under the present haphazard lack of system. Everywhere it is said that tho oversea companies are tho people most in earnest about reforming the method of labour control on the wharves. Yesterday one of them appointed tho vice-president of the arbitration union to tho position of labour foreman for the company. This appointment will, of course, put out of all doubt the question of whether preference will be given to arbitrationists on this company's shipsMany of those who ought to know say that it is impossible for the present preference arrangement to continue as a permanent one. The reason urged is that there are so many of tho men on the wharves entitled to preference who are hopelessly incompetent. There are good arbitrationists still at work, but there are others whom a foreman, anxious to get tho best result for his employers, can scarcely employ. A certain number of men are continually complaining. The agreement has been rather better observed generally of late, however, and very few. of the able-bodied men have had cause for complaint.