THE NEW SOUTH WALES GOVERMENT AND THE SHEARERS.

Waikato Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 3485, 30 October 1894, Page 2

THE NEW SOUTH WALES GOVERMENT AND THE SHEARERS.

!]Pice pastoralists ia the ■ aorttiera (parts of* Victoria are abqin to.begiirshearing, and are apprehensive of trouble;'she Premier has, had a special interview with the chief of the police on the? subject, and i has informed him that" on no account would the Government tolerate a ,repetition by unionists of the outrages f which had ' recently occurred in New South Wales'." He also instructed him to spare no ex- . pensein "promptly restraining any law : lessneas which aught occur on the Victorian side of the border, and in bringing the offenders to justice." In this colony , the matter seems to be considered iu a somewhat different Might, There is a growing amouot of dissatisfaction in the mind of the puVilic with 'the action and the attitude of the. Government',' and. Minis- ;; te'rial .iitterauces,, whilst. intended■, api P&repjjly to -allajr.the feeling, have, a' Ntfdebcy;to'pr.°cTttce the;- : .opgo«ite effect, Ministers seem unable to refer to the ®uhj.ect in public without having something to say. about their- private aud hinting'that the- ; responsibility does not. rest iwholly = ; with : the men. Who are defying:the. law and. trampling upon 1 other menV rights and liberties. 1 This is not a time to talk:about private opinions and the origin of disputes. It is-the duty of the Government here tp recognise r the fact, which ,is recognised by' the Premier of Victoria, that these doings amount to an insurrection," Neither 1,, it of service for Mr Reid to say that, . although the. Government' might not, ; always be able' to overtake'erime", and immediately arrest criminals', they were determined that the arm of the law Bhould'ovetitually reach them. " Eventually reach them "—when the fact to be faced is that thei e are parts of the colony were crowds of unionists and "others 'as-' sume control, stop traffic, require passes from travellers, terrorise men who are working or. willing to wo»k and iu some cases withdraw them fr.om their wojk by actual violence as well as by threats. And in th« presence of these things a few police appear powerless'to maintain the law, but witnosses to ita .deGance and infraction, practically showing not the ) : streugfcli of the law but its' Weakness, • and ip effeot.maldng the Government a ■ party to, the proceedings, According'to official information, the head of the police says he has force enough at command, and the .Colonial Secretary-has instructed him to use it. But of what value is information of this kind when it is apparent

that the police ou the spot are insufficient either in numbers or in courage, or in confidence as to support, to make Head against this insurrection, which for practical purposes has transferred the coutrol in various places from fclie Go* vernment of the country to men of threats ancl violence ?