The Fremantle Wharf Crisis of 1919 by Australian Labor Federation

Author:Australian Labor Federation [Federation, Australian Labor]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, General, Nature
ISBN: 4064066063580
Google: jlQOEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Good Press
Published: 2020-12-08T05:00:00+00:00

VICTORY FOR THE MEN.

Returning, and with the Police Commissioner, they sought out the Premier, who said that if the lumpers would agree not to indulge in further violence he would give his assurance that no further work would be done by the volunteers that day. This was agreed to by the men’s representatives, and they returned to the crowd; but not before Mr. McCallum had guaranteed the Premier, at his (the Premier’s) request, a safe passage back up the river to Perth.

Whilst these three envoys were conversing with the Premier and the Commissioner, however, an incident occurred which showed how blind the employers were to the situation in their desire to down the workers, and which might easily have had a lamentable effect and ended once for all the truce just agreed upon. A trooper who had been wounded returned to duty with his head in bandages. Some of the employers turned to cheer him, but they were silenced by the indignant cry of Mr. McCallum: "You damned fools; haven’t you any sense?" Fortunately the crowd was too far away, and the incident passed unnoticed, except by a few.

Having seen the launch under way, Mr. McCallum and his colleagues turned their attention to the men. Mr. McCallum led them to the overhead railway bridge, which was densely packed, and climbing on to the rails alongside a lamp post he briefly explained what had happened. "You have got what you wanted," he said. ‘You have got these men off the wharf. We want you to promise there will be no more violence. There will be a meeting on the Esplanade at 3 p.m., when you will be told what to do."

The promise was forthcoming amid much cheering. Then the crowd, realising that victory had been achieved, rushed to the wharf to meet the incoming troopship Khyber, which was then moving down stream, her decks and rigging brown with the khaki of hundreds of returning soldiers.

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