Page:The Fremantle Wharf Crisis of 1919.djvu/15

THE WHARF CRISIS OF 1919 Trust officials had promised the assistance of a man to work the crane, but the man, on arrival, proved to be a "blackleg" and he was given the "office" to make himself scarce. The lumpers then set to work unloading the barge. From hand to hand the bags were lifted over the whaling piece and thence to waiting lorries, to be driven to the depot, where other lumpers took delivery. The work was carried out in record time, amidst much cheering and good-humored banter, which time the police looked on from their shelter in "B" shed.

SCHEMERS AT WORK.

For the next two days the position remained unaltered, and when Saturday passed and the Government had not shown its hand it was generally believed&mdash;it was, in fact, stated officially&mdash;that work was to be started on Monday morning, May 5. Meanwhile, however, other forces were at work, and it was made known later that a complete scheme had been prepared for taking the "blacklegs" to Fremantle on the Sunday morning to commence unloading the Dimboola. That scheme was apparently altered at the eleventh hour, and instead of the "blacklegs" a large body of employers and commercial travellers undertook to make the trip and prepare the way for the morrow by the erection of barricades for the greater protection of the "blacklegs." This work the Harbor Trust employees had already refused to do.

The plans of the bosses were not known to the Labor leaders on the night of May 3. They have since been disclosed. Had the schemers any idea of what their actions would lead to they might well have hesitated before attempting to put them into force.

THE TRAGIC SUNDAY.

The people of Fremantle little dreamed on the morning of Sunday, May 4, that the Sabbath quiet was, within a few hours, to be turned into pandemonium; that men and women would be called upon to fight the armed forces of the Government; that to one at least it would mean the sacrifice of life; to others sore and bloody wounds. The morning broke with threatening rain clouds scurrying over the sky, portent of the other storm that was soon to break with such tragic fury. It early became known that an attempt was to be made to bring "blackleg" labor down the river to work on the wharves but it was nearly 10 o’clock before the outside ripples of excitement began to manifest themselves at the Port. Up to that hour very few people had any inkling&mdash;that is, except the Premier and the 15