NOTICE TO QUIT!

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3679, 14 November 1912, Page 7

NOTICE TO QUIT!

“RED FEDS” DRIVEN FROM WAIHI. CALM AFTER THE STORM. TUESDAY’S RIOTS THE CLOSING EPISODE. [BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT] WAIHI7 Nov. 13. \vailn is resting; in the calm after the storm rather shocked at the somewhat, tragic finale of the strike, for that it is the closing episode appears now to be taken for granted. A reporter, giving his impressions on arrival in the town after the shooting occurred, says the only sound that broke the stillness of last night—-a stillness to which Waihi has been a stranger for many weeks—was the occasional rumble of wheels as some of the “warned” strikers stole out of the unhappy town with their families and household belongings in order to escape the wrath of the workers who had handed out in no uncertain manner notice to quit within 4S hours. Late last evening a vigilance picket of the workers paid a visit to the domicile of a noted striker who had received emphatic notice to leave the town. Females were hurrying into a waiting cab and the picket was met with a. frightened reply to its challenge ‘‘only, women here.” The picket demanded the husband, bat he had folded his tent and, like in l Arab, had stolen silently away. After the picket liad reassured the trembling driver —a mere lad who stammered out “I don’t want to .be shot”—the' leader called out in authoritive tones, “Drive on !” and the cab, with its load of frightened women and children, drove off into the night in the direction of Karangahako.

It reminded one of an incident in a “Tale of Two Cities,” when the citizens t-ook charge of Paris. When Mr Kennedy,’ who took Mr Parry’s place as leader of the Federationists, made his precipitant exit yesterday lie was unceremoniously bustled to the station and on the platform occurred one of those grimly humorous.incidents which often tread on the heels of tragedy. As the harrassed Kennedy was being taken along by the police someone got an address, label and with a good dollop of paste on it affixed it to the late leader.

The idea caught on. and before Kennedy reached the train lie was labelled for nearly every station on the Auckland section.

The capture of the Aimers’ Union Hall, the headquarters of the strikers, by tho Arbitrationistfe was one of the most dramatic incidents of yesterday’s fight.

All last night men did sentry duty round the building in which the decamped Federationists had left all their books,'papers, etc. Suspicious persons were closely scrutinised and challenged, the situation reminding one more of war news than the doings of a New Zealand mining township. You felt that the times had slipped a cog or two and that instead of being a. matter of weeks off the season of “peace on earth and goodwill towards men” we had gone hack to the barbarous times when men settled their differences with a club.

All the strike pay was distributed at the Union Hall and its rapture will have the effect of completely disorganising the machinery of the strikers. Not content with burning the Rod: Flag of the Federation!sts at a street lamp the Arbifrationists have nailed the Union Jack and the Red Ensign as well to the mast over the Union Hall.

After yesterday’s shooting the police took every precaution to prevent the possibility of a recurrence of such n horror and a party under Sergt. Bird of Auckland, ivho is in charge of east end of the town —the hot-bed of strikerdom —made diligent search of the houses of suspects.

Several revolvers and a small pi'e of ammunition rewarded 1 the constables and the find was promptly removed to the “police c-amp” as the station is called.

fiergts. Miller and Bird were out again this morning with a. squad heating up some suspected Federationists in the east end and searching their houses for gelignite—a very dangerous article in the hands oi a desperate man. __ _ These are stirring times in Waihi and it is when you move round 1 and witness these dramatic incidents that you get the true temper of the place and realise how near ±La people, have been to open revolution and the spilling of blood. There is no doubt that hut for the presence of the police the news that has. flashed over the wires each day from Waihi would have been ten times more thrilling. - This morning people were up bright and early, and. expectancy showed in every face, but there was not even the rumor, of a striker, or a picket to he heard.

The workers assembled in the centre of the town, each brake load being cheered as it drove up, and # the men filling both footpaths marched peacefully up to the mine and went to work without the usual accompaniment of boohing and. opprobrious epithets. People could* hardly believe that the peaceful scene was really happening in Waihi, and on all sides one heard mutual congratulations at the handling out of formal notices to the remaining strikers to make themselves scarce.

By this morning’s train over a dozen more of the strikers who have'received 48 hours’ grace to get out, left the town, and Arbitrationist pickets are now going the rounds.