CONDITIONS IN WAIHI.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10535, 9 August 1912, Page 1

CONDITIONS IN WAIHI.

A REPLY TO MB PARRY. [Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, August B._, Mr P. Hally. Conciliation Commissioner. returned to "Wellington from Blenheim to-day. He had noticed remarks made by Mr Parry in the Press with reference to the recent visit of Mr 'friggs, the Christchurch Commissioner, and himself to Waihi. " We were not authorise*!," sn:.d Mr Hally, "to attempt a settlement, hut to gather information for the Minister of Labour. Wo gathered that information and it has been forwarded to the Minister. Mr Parry says there is no distress in Waihi. If lie means no visible suffering of people from want of proper shelter, food or clothing, lie is right, but there is undoubtedly suffering on the part of p-eople which can be attributed to the strike. No doubt many of the miners foresaw what was coming, and as they earned pood money when the mine was working, they might; have made provision for a period of enforced idleness such as is being experienced. Besides, strike pay is coming regularly in week by week." The carrying of firearms was referred to. Mr irially said that it was unquestionably dene by some of the Waihi residents. "Notwithstanding Mr Parry's denial, I am quite prepared to substantiate what I said about firearms. I not only know that they are (or were) being carried. I saw them myself v and they were not carried, for show. Yfhen I asked why they were being carried,. I was tokl by those who had them that they felt the need of something more powerful than their hands to defend themselves in case of emergency. They were, I learned, carried in self-defence. I could give tile names of people whom I met with firearms, if it were necessary to do so. These people, I learned, constantly carried revolvers because they went in fear of their lives in Waihi. Waihi, however, was orderly when I was thero. I saw no rowdyism, no ' boo-hooing,' except on one occasion when some men came out of the Miners' Hc.ll after a meeting and saw two engiriedrivers working together. These enginedrivers always go ill couples for their mutual protection. I was tokl that the language used by men coming from the hall to 'die was. to say the very least of it, provoker:'. I learned that there was a good deal of potty tyranny going on. The children of cngiiiodrivers were called ' scabs ' by the miners' children until the practice was promptly extinguished by the headmaster. Barbers who cut the hair of enginedrivers suffered by loss of custom from miners on that account. Suspected people were followed abort. In one case a perfectly neutral party had his coal supply cut off because he incurred the displeasure of the ruling party in The men are putting in time quoit-playing or sitting about the streets discussing the situation when th-y are. not attending meetings. With regard to the hospital, it was certainly full on the day I said it was, Sunday, July 23. The Mayor was my informant, and he should be' a better authority, than Mr Parry. As to a child dying from diphtheria, that was clearly due to the stoppage of the mine waters, which are utilised in flushing the draiifs of the town. This sanitary service is now automatically stopped. So far as business is concerned, I know of two business places that have actually closed up 'in Waihi since the strike. Their book debts amounted to £1800."