Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-12-29

die had been cast the issue would %
settled for once and Tor al.
In the Afternoon Of the 18th the Se'v0
or more strikers held a big meeting IN
one of the city parks in which the
statement was made BY the leader that
THE soviet sovsfnment Is now IN ek.
fest In Winnipeg. The seat of govern.
msnt had been moved from the City nall
10 the Labor Temple"
The situation was critical. We had no
able men had been sent to war. The
Royal Northwest Mounted Police. the
finest body Of men in the world. and
loyal to their country. had only about
six men stationed there 1t that time.
We did have a police force. but instead
of fulfilling their oath of allegiance 20
the city. was in sympathy with. and
part Of the strikers.
Quick action was necessary. A few
men met on Wednesday evening,
May IA, and selected an executive
committee Of Is to form a citizen
committee OF 1000. This executive
committee was later increased to 50.
l had the honor Of being selected
secretary Of this committee.
Citizens by hundxeds and thou
sands subscribed to- the rolls Of the
citissns committee. and pledged
themselves for voluntary service to
uphold law and order and protect
life and property.
At 10 o'clock the next morning. one
hour before the strike was to take
place, $50 men in all classes Of life
reported at our headquarters, and IL
minutes after the striking firemen
had LETT their fire halls. every fire
station In the city. with the exception
OF two. located in the strikers terri
tory. was manned. The only acquaint-
anceship those men had with fire
apparatus was when they had seen it
going to a FIRE. but in 10 days. we had
the best f-e department the city
had ever had and these men stayed
on the Job day and night for six
weeks without q cent of compensa-
tion. That is loyalty and service.
In tho first 4S hours. there were 17a
false alarms. many Of which were
turned In by the disloyal police force.
We Immediately called for volun.
teers for the militia. and more than
10000 men tok the oath OF allegiance
TO King George. OF which 5000 were
Immediately assigned to barracks.
where they drilled continuously ey-
cry day; and were in service nearly
six weeks.
AS many threats of violence and
depredations on homes of the loyal
people had been made, n voluntary
patrol force was organized and every
streets In the residential territory
was patroilled continuously day and
night-men on duty two hours at a
time.
Owing to the shortage of food and
the closing OF restaurants, and all
eating places. it was imperative that
We provide some means for feeding
our nremen and other volunteers. A
restaurant was established in the
6oard OF Trade building. where
during a period Of more than five
weeks. $1,000 meals were served. This
duty was assigned to the loyal wo-
mon and they worked day and night
on this job without any CONDENSATION
Two thousand automobiles and
or'vers were mobilfzed to transpor,
our volunteers to and from their
meals and for other purposes. and
were available for all purposes on 15
minutes notice.
Inc REASONABLE acts of the police
men In interfering with the yolup.
tary nremen In their work of kinkin1
the nose to shut off water and their
.eHure~ TO protect the citizens and
1heir homes and to prevent violence
resulted in the citizens committee de-
Nnano'ne that they renounce their
connection with the American Fed
elation OF Labor and the strike. or
set on their Jobs. They refused the
remuneration and quit their posts.
Two thousand returned soldiers
most Of whom had given four .ears
y. service to their country in the
Great War. volunteered and wer.
sworn IN as special policemen. They
nad fought for four years to ovsr-
throw autocracy and were again u,,i,
ing to give their lives to save tbei,.
sbs"s sbs'.,a from the domination Of Boil
sneVism and I. w. W. ism.
a demand was made upon the ON.
p.oyees OF the water works pumniny
stat'on' who had remained at wor,,
unoer authority Of the strike con,
mittee to either increase the wstar
pressure to its normal or get of the
'oos' They did the latter ana tha;.
places We're Immediately filled hv
voluntary citizens. ~ 'S
ooppass OF the milk and ice sun-
p,S' shortage in water and food snn-
ply ana other necessities of life IN.
1neo'ately brought about an acut.
SITUATION which the strike comm;,,e,
enoeaVored to handle accord;r. -
.as soviet system by issuinr 20 49,
oe..ne these words: "Permitted h,,
autnor1ty Of the strike comm;t,.a :,
OUT they played their hand ~
s.lons when they refused to issus
.nese cards to only strikers or tho,
VINO could show their union cards
case after caAe was reported - -.
OF children and the sick sufrer;r~ f, 30
~ant OF these necessities Of ]ife and
notning was more helpful N c.ran.
ing pubic opinion against the r.a,
cais and strikers than this act -.
sov,et'sm. borrowed from Russia
tne strikers and radicals bec.ua
desperate. They committed num.r.
GUS acts OF violence. Citizens wear
ing q small nag Of their Country In
their buttonhole were assaulted ana
attempts made to take the flag away
from them. The government bouse
was invaded The Canadian A..