10

Bird speaking to the pickets and heard him tell
one of them that the Curio Shop was also included
in the picketing. After 3 o’clock she saw the
the defendants Bird, Lake and Joseph walking in
the street; they spoke to the pickets.

‘Tris Barrow testifies that on the same 17th
September she went to the Drug Store to purchase
something and one of the pickets shouted at her:
‘* Hold the line. Don’t go in.”

As regards the 19th of September, Gertrude
O’Neal says she heard some people tell the defend-
ant Samuel, who is a local constable, that they
would like to go into the Store to buy but didn’t
want to yet into trouble with the police, and that
Samuel told them they would get into trouble if
they went in; there were policemen standing
around at the time.

Another occurrence concerning the defendant
Samuel on 19th September is related by Neville
Lowen and Sergeant Roberts. They say they saw
Samuel go up to and touch a man who was about
to enter the Drug Store, and Lowen heard him say
“ Hold the line.” It is clear from the evidence of
these very witnesses, however, that there was
nothing hostile in Samuel’s act. It would appear
that he was, as he at the time explained to Sergeant
Roberts, just making fun with a friend, who sub-
sequently entered the Store. Although Lowen
visits the Store daily he has never been troubled
by any of the pickets.

In respect of the 18th of September, one
matter should be noticed, that is, an article which
appeared that day under prominent headlines on
the front page of “The Workers’ Voice”’, the
official organ of the Union. The newspaper itself
shows that it is “Printed and published by the
Antigua Trades and Labour Union at their Office,
46 North Street, St. John’s, Antigua”, and that
the defendant Richards is its Editor. At this
stage I will merely set out the article, with its
headlines: —

“THE FIGHT IS ON: JUSTICE OR
BE DAMNED.

People Must Decide if O’Neals are Above
the Right And Privileges of the
Worker.

The Executive of the Antigua Trades
and Labour Union have broken off
trade relationship with O’Neal’s Drug
Store and open conflict now wages.

Early on Saturday morning pickets were
stationed in the vicinity of the Drug Store in
an effort to demonstrate to the public the
resentment of the Union to the attitude
adopted by the O’Neals in the dismissal of
their Clerks.

Endeavoured

The Union have endeavoured right
through to bring the matter to an amicable

settlement and departed from former proce-
dures by going to the extent of asking for an
inquiry into the Dispute. Even though the
O’Neal’s recognised at first a dispute existed
and attended meeting under the Labour Com-
missioner it seemed that some last minute
adviser prompted them to ignore the whole
question.

They insulted the government by refus-
ing to attend the Board of Inquiry appointed
by the Acting Governor. They were notified
three weeks ago of the recommendations of
the Board and the Government asked the
matter be settled. ‘fo the present moment
they have even refused to acknowledge receipt
of the findings of the Board of Inquiry so
adding further insult tc injury.

Principles

Public opinion has been brought to play
in this case. If it is felt by the O’Neals and
their advisers that injustice should stand
before accepted civilised principles and that
human beings and causes should be treated
contemptuously the public of Antigua will
decide. The ‘Trades Union asked for no
trouble only sought to right a wrong. If the
O’Neals are stronger than the will of the
people the coming days or even years will
decide. The fight is on.”

The next day on which special incidents are
alleged to have occurred is Saturday, 24th Septem-
ber. It was suggested that Saturday was chosen
for special activities because in St. John’s it is the
busiest shopping day. Gertrude O’Neal, Linda
O’Neal and Iris Barrow all testified that the pickets
were particularly noisy that morning, shouting,
among other things, ‘‘ Hold the line. Don’t go
into O’Neal’s”. Iris Barrow states they shouted
that at her, and that around 4 o’clock in the after-
noon she saw a woman on the steps of the Drug
Store and heard a picket tell her “ Don’t go in there.
Don’t goin. Hold the line”, and the woman went
away. Linda O’Neal says she heard some of the
pickets threaten to beat people if they went in,
and that only a few “brave ones” dared to enter.
Victoria Frederick claims that the noise was so
great that morning that she found it “ confusing”.
Both she and Gertrude O’Neal say they heard the
defendant Levi Joseph egging on pickets to shout
louder. At one stage Gertrude O'Neal telephoned
to the Police Station and Assistant Superintendent
Blaize came to the scene. Blaize found Levi
Joseph there with two or three of the regular
pickets, at the time merely walking up and down
saying “ Hold the line”’, and told him of the report
made by Gertrude O’Neal; Joseph said he was just
substituting for a while for one of the pickets and
had not done anything save what Blaize found him
doing; that he understood pickets must not stand
up or they would be “ watching and besetting ”.
A few minutes later, when the defendant Bird was
passing in a car, Blaize apprised him of the report
made. Gertrude O’Neal says that after Assistant