SPECIAL CONSTABLE ASSAULTED

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13846, 31 October 1913, Page 5

SPECIAL CONSTABLE ASSAULTED

Wellington, Oct. 30. The beginning of trouble with tho mounted special constables was.the entrance of a. striker into tho ground v. lu-Tfi the police- horses wore picketed. TJio police endeavoured to removo the man, and this was the signal for some hundreds of strikers to tear down tho fr'o.r.eo rmd yUfAi into tho yard Armed with sticks and stones they attacked the special.-,, who were- unprepared and greatly outnumbered, and who mounted nnd rode away. Soon nftery at -tho request of the authorities, bluejackets . paraded, f'd.y •arnuxl. They lined, up on the whart,. executed -.several movements, and ■ returned to the ship. _ Small quieknrerfe | .also r-ec&ivod1,:-attention. ' ' : The strike executive permitted the colt Sir DanieL to land from the" Uliiunrea on humanitarian grounds. A substantial increase in strike rates on all .marine covers is like'.y to be announced shortly. Up to the pro son t 1(51 members of crows on laid-up vessois have been paid -oil:. The Atlieivic \v;is to. sail tV.jl London to-day, but her departure i:: md; iinr.f]y postponed. " I.'hn t-i;unn-ayn;en passed ?. :-?::;>h;t;:m of -r.yinp-.ithy with tho o.tvik:Ts. Merchants' and other l.;^:.n:^r n;<>;) mot the Premier in pnvru:,., ismfo-esHv to-day. The dirputo was oifieidly handr-a.cv^r to the Foder;:tjt;n ol La bum- vest 3rd:: y. In n-nn-ouueing'this at a public in cc ting to-day, Mr Hiekev snid the Fod-.-ratiiiM was anxious to settle the trouble;. hi\t only on terms'a<.'-coptab>* to organiia* labour. Tho employers showed a ten-, dency to stand liatfootod in every dispute. The Federation had only to -say the word to bring about similar conditions in other parts of the country as existed iii Wellington, Auckland, and Wfestport. The Federation would fight-1 l.!ia,rd if forced to." "Scabs" would not '■be .allowed to break this .strike, • Mr■ Favland, seevetary to the water-! eiders, declared that the men would; not be batoned back to work. There is sufficient coal for tho trams and electric lighting to last seven j weeks. ' Batons were being manufactured for j the police in the Stewart Company's buildmg, which caught fire last nigiht. At 5 15 there was no sign of fire, and at six o'clock the place, was alight. j Tht» fiist atool sale was announced J for Wednesday next; but it is now likely that it will bo postponed. At an extraordinary special meeting of the Sports Federation League held this morning to consideT if the Federation would take any action in connection, with tho' present labour troubles, it was rmnnimonsly decided that" they were::outride the jurisdiction of the :.Fcderation" " " - . r; L '"->;/;' r; '; !7 >

■'< The XlliniaToa, which arrived yesterday."''brought quantity of naval stores for TK.M.S, PsychOj. no\v in. poi.t., These were discharged- this ■■morning,by wen-o'-Avarsmeii.", A, party, .of ■ pickets .visited, the vessel .?'lrat' -there' was no 'demon-stration"wha't-ever.' This was the only cargo liandled. Shortly after three, o'clock this

morning the police discovered a iiro on the upper floor 'of a brick two-story building* on .Waterloo Quay, Vg^onging to tho New. Zealand- Shipping .Company, and used by it for storage of goods .required for "use on. its'own vessels. A quantity of straw was found alight, and when the brigade arrived the flames had burned tho, edges of a pilo of fibre matting. Th-5 fire was soon, extinguished, and the damagq is not extensive. The most exciting striko incident during the day was tho assault by the crowd on' a, squad of special constables, camped at the Post Office stores, on Waterloo Quay. A meeting was in progress in; the Post Office Square, when a messenger arrived, and the assembled strikers and curious onlookers rushed to the..reclaimed land, where the special constables were. Mounted constables appeared on the scene to protect the specials. The mob stoned the policemen'; some of whom were cut about the head. The specials being hopelessly outnumbered beat a retreat. Shortly afterwards the bluejackets on H.M.S. Psyche were paraded with rifles and fixed bayonots. The merchants and other business men met to-day to consider the situation, but the business of the meeting was nob disclosed.

The shipowners' committee also met, but nothing was communicated to the Press. In ' the meantime, the Watersiders' strike"'committee held a session,.

The Federation of Labour kas now taken charge" of Jh& /strike. Speedhes continue in the square, ~ where a crowd' is "always, to be rfelied. upon, except when there is diversion like that of the attack on the speciaL constables. Mounted men patrol the stretch from Wbterloo Quay to Jervois Quay. So far, as can be ascertained, no arrests have been made that can be di■rtctly attributed to the strike or strikers. The pickets havo complete- control of the wharves so far as the passago of goods is concerned, and if they suspect merchandise masquerading as personal effects, it is at one© turned back.