PEEPS INTO THE PAST

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXXXI, Issue 9639, 25 June 1941, Page 3

PEEPS INTO THE PAST

B'A'HI BORCU3H COUNCIL MEETING

PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS

OTHER INTERESTING JOTTINGS The following interesting paragraphs have been taken from old files of the "Wuini Daily Tele-

graph":— Here is an extract from the report of the usual fortnightly meeting of the Waihi Borough Council held on Thursday, June 23, 19 04: Cr. J. E. Slevin said that at a previous meeting it had been resolved that employees of the council should be unionists. Since then complaints had been made that unionists had been discharged and non-unionists kept on. The resolution was a hard and fast one, as it simply advised that all employees of the council who were not unionists should be requested to join. Also tliat prefer- ! ence be given to unionists when taking on hands, if the unionists were as good workers as the others. Cr. J. Newth said that a resolution had been passed "by the council that preference should be given to unionists, but it had not been carried out. Cr. J. Foster suggested asking the men to join, but that the engineer use his discretion as to the men he should put "off, having regard always to the I worth of the men.

The engineer (Mr D. W. McArthur) explained -that he was not aware that such a resolution existed, or he would have had it carried out as far as possible. The Mayor (Mr T. Gilmour) said he would prefer that the engineer should use his own discretion. Good men should be kept on in preference to inferior men, but in cases where the men were old and infirm an understanding should be come to for less wages. :

Cr. Newth objected to any interference with the minimum wage of eight shillings a day. Cr. Foster said that the matter had been discussed over and over again without any satisfaction. The whole thing was sickening. The engineer should use his own discretion.

The motion was then put and car ■ied.

UNBECOMING DISORDER AT SACRED CONCERT

Monday, June 24, 1907. —The Biorama sacred entertainment at th<; Academy of Music last evening was unfortunately marked by an element of roughness and unbecoming disorder. In an interview with the police authorities this morning we were informed of various incidents pertaining to the affair that are undoubtedly ill-timed and ill-placed at a sacred gathering. It appears that the assembling crowds were allowed

' congregate at the front door of the

building until hundreds were jostling and wrestling for a place of vantage, the Salvation Army authorities meanwhile, instead of admitting

them in an orderly way as they arrived, holding back to an iron-fixed time. The police warned them that

they should let the people in and so prevent disorder, but they were told that "they could manage them all right, and would send out a couple of their own men." When at last the people were admitted, only one half of the door was opened to about a thousand people, and barriers were erected across the side entrances. A riotous struggle followed, in which it took the police all their time to keep down dangerous features. As it was one lady fainted and had to be carried out of the crowd, and two little children were in a perilous position, only being saved from perhaps serious harm by the strenuous exertion of the police. One man came through the press after lighting as if for bis very existence, and when he found space to breathe he discovered two large buttons from a lady's coat in his hand. At last the police insisted on all the doors being opened, and through these the people surged, women being practically lifted up over the step into the hall by the crushing mass behind them. The fire brigade men who were on duty there last night make no hush about the fact that had any fife happened they must have been powerless in the face of the over-crowding, the stage being packed with boys, and the doors even filled with spectators. It it rather regrettable that such a set. of circumstances should mark a Sunday evening gathering.