INCITING TO STRIKE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14283, 27 April 1917, Page 4

INCITING TO STRIKE.

AGITATOR. ON TRIAL.

, "A PRETTY TALE."

HAD TO TELL THEM SOMETHING* 1 '

In the case of ; Alfredi William Coleman, a miner from Eunanga, charged with inciting a seditious strike at Faixv held, Detective-Sergt. Kemp said that, listening from a window, he heard accused, make the following statement : "I wish to express U> you the reason why the Coast miners went out onstrike. It was because the Government intended to employ m the mines German, Austrian, and, Dalmatian aheap' labor. -.lt was this fear that brought them out. My mission down here is to interview you, and get you to come Out on strike. One has to be very careful what they say owing to the War Regulations, Fresh .ones are being made every week. I went to Invei-cargiil, ami Detective-Serg't. Cameron, interviewed me i and said I had! come to incite industrial strife. He ad\nsed me to' go back but here! am to-night. I 'kidded' to him I liad a yery good meeting at Nightcaps. After I had interviewed the men it was decided they- would leave it, with the Federation whether they came out or not, vsq. that's all.Tiglifc. I had to be > r ery careful what I said, because I .was. warned some of the men, would 1 give me away to the police. I came on to Kai.tangata, but there is no show of a strike there; m fact, a man named Cairns said! lie could »3e, what I. was, after, and moved that there be no' strike. Tliere is no show there. My mission is to interview you, and get you -to come out on strike. The Federation, is greatly dis-organised',-owing to the arrest of temple and other leaders. There' are only three left now-. Two have gone North to interview the miners m the North Island. 'A strike is.no good utiles.<v it lasts two months at. least The only way you can get anything out of" the capitalist is to r use the 'boot' on him every time.- lam ■t 'shirker,' -and I have three brothers who are 'shirkers.' arid I don't ■ mind telling you the leaders who were arrested on the West Coast and were taken away from there, had they been tried thero

there Svould have been trouble." A mob ; of miners wouldl have' upset everything, 1 but tho p01i«33 had too v much sense. to try :lhem there It's a man m Huntly that gave tho show -Way. ., '■ < : , ;W&-ha.ve tl\o ivatei-side in'yV'eHingtonwit'h us, and the Federation 'm Australia. ,We were promised)' their support to a man r before we came out. I. see Jiriiniy Allen,' and another. Minister have gone down the Coast. I don't know what' the result will be. We can dp nothing by, wifp' 'now; they , : wp,n ? t deliver them ;. ft must be done by.letter or -code. •:"We can semi, coda messages, ;from Hhe Coas£ ]to Christ-, church. The war will -last for, three 1 years yet, and the longer it gos3 on.tM Cheaper labor will get. It's a' great pity Semple and ih& other leaders were lock^ ed up, .but the. war will not .be.ov^r, before they come out. I am the accredit- , ed representative of the miners oil' gtriV©' on the West Gtaast, and'whfit ',actip»('"l ! take has been ,appi-pvetl! of by them aodi,! Mr Coppersmith, their, representative.^ j Dete,ctive JCemp, ln^ course' of reexamination to-day,', said : VAt-.Uje policfi, station I "said to accused, 'That was .a pr«tty,tal c , you told .them about . getting Germans v and Austrians to. work • the mines.' ;He, said, ! Yes, yon have .jto t<?,ll them something.' " " „,,, 'The acqusod, who appeared m his own defence,/ gave evidence. In cross-exam-ination, he said he worked a,t the Rainanga mine, «nd came out oil , .strike. He anprovediof it, ajthough he did not know, what ... buouKjit. him out! His expenses ■M-«re paidior \\m\ to come to Qtago.aiul, Southland, and explain tlie. reasons .for strike. He b^ljeycfl that the .employers were usii]j> the tf Military Service Act to •ret cheap labor into the mines, but whether it,, was to. be. German, pi 1 ., Austrian labor or anything else, be did not ki^ r . It was tri7,3 that he said he was a shirker ' He did' not mind telling them that.

Mr MqGregor (Crown soHcitor) : You are rather pvpud of." it,, then? Accused: \tes, I-'iam. '■■, . ]\fr McGretfor: Are you registered ? Witness: Yes, but ■• I* ha.vent got the registi'ation paper. . ... • • The magistrate. (Mr Bartholomew) said he must take' the case as .conclusively proved. Acansed woukl be cqnvicted. , On the application of the Grown solicitor an adjournment Avas .granted, for, a' week, so that inquiries; might' be cqni^ pleted 1 as to the antecedents of accused.