Person:Alexander Lizars (1)

Name: Alexander David Lizars
Birth Place: Wodonga, Victoria
Registration Year: 1882
Registration Place: Victoria, Australia
Father: David H Lizars
Mother: Harriet

Name: Alexander David Lizars
Age: 78 years
Death Place: Western Australia
Father: David
Mother: Harriet
Registration Year: 1959
Registration Place: Perth, Western Australia

Geraldton, July 13.
At Geraldton on Thursday a telegraph
lineman named Alexander David Lizars was
remanded until Wednesday next on a charge
of making, at Greenough, on or about June
14, a statement likely to cause disaffection
to his Majesty's subjects, or public alarm,
in contravention of the War Precautions
Act.
Bail was allowed.

At the Police Court yesterday
morning, before Mr R. Gee, R.M.,
Alexander David Lizars, of Dur-
lacher-street, was brought up on re-
mand, charged with making a state-
ment at Greenough, on June 11th,
likely to cause disaffection to His
Majesty, or public alarm, in Con-
travention of Par 26 of the War
Precautions Regulations Act.
H. Thomas, Sergeant of Police in
charge of Geraldton, said : On 11th
July, acting on the authority of the
Commissioner, I laid a complaint,
and obtained the issue of a warrant
for the arrest of A. D. Lizars on
the present charge. At 10.15, in
company with Constable Mills, ar-
rested accused at the post office.
After reading the warrant, delivered
to him a copy of exhibit " B."
He had nothing to say, but asked
that his wife be informed. On be-
ing told I would send a constable,
he replied he didn't want her star-
tled, as she was ill, but had been
expecting it. He asked to see the
postmaster. He said he had not
been taken by surprise, as he had
heard something about it. At the
police station accused was searched.
On him was found a copy of
the "Wadonga and Toowong Times,"
July 8, 1894. He was asked why he
carried this about with, him, and re-
plied that he had heard this was
going to happen, and he had put it
in his pocket. (Paragraph read,
showing the death of Judge Lizars,
who was a brilliant man of un-
questionable ability, and born in
England. His brother was living in
Australia.)
Abraham Cohen, a contractor,
sworn, said ; In June accused, camp-
ed at my house for about three
weeks. W. Stewart and John Wil-
liams were also there. On Thurs-
day, 14th July, Cuneo arrived there.
A discussion took place. I said to
Cuneo : "What do you think of the
Fremantle strike ) A nation starv-
ing and wheat boats stuck up."
Lizars replied they were quite jus-
tified. Lizars also said in the dis-
cussion : that the German soldier was
a better soldier than the Britisher,
and 15 per cent better educated
and better paid. An argument then
ensued with Cuneo, who said, 'For
the expression used, you ought to
be inside." I said the last raid on
London was cold-blooded murder.
The British ought to do the same
to Berlin. Lizars said: "The — —
can't get there." Williams support-
ed by saying that if he were a
soldier, anyone who voted for con-
scription he (Williams) would put a
bayonet through his guts. Am a
Polish Jew by birth, but have been
in Australia for 30 years, and was
11 years in England.
Gross-examined by Mr. Clydesdale:
know very [unreadable] Germany.
Cuneo was only once at my place
on the 14th, and twice before that
date. I started the argument. I
couldn't say the actual cause of the
strike. Cuneo said the men ought
to be shot, hanged, or something
to that effect. Lizars did not say
they were still free. I have known
Lizars about three week, and have
never found anything wrong with
him. He said that a man was en-
titled to the best amount he could
get for his labor: I wouldn't swear
whether Lizars said anything else.
He did not quote from a paper.
Cuneo and Lizars wwere heated.
John F. Cuneo, Secretary of
Greenough Road Board, said : On
14th June last I visited Cohen's
house in the afternoon. Lizars, my-
self, Cohen, Williams, and, earlier in
the evening, a man named Stewart
were there. An argument took place
at about 10 o'clock at night, after
having had a game of crib. Cohen
said, "What do you think of this
man saying the lumpers were
right in hanging up the wheat
boats at Fremantle?" I said, "I
don't think much of them, as sure-
ly they could have loaded the wheat
to feed the starving people in Bel-
gium, France and Egland." Lizars
said it "was well good enough
for them. Let them pay the — —
wages." I said, the farmers required
payment for their wheat equally
with those mentioned. Lizars said
the — — cockies wouldn't pay wages
either, and it was good enough for
them, too. The argument resolved
itself into a cross-fire between Wil-
liams, Lizars and myself. Williams
supported Lizars. Lizars made a
statement comparing the German
soldiers against our own. He said
the Germans had better laws, bet-
ter pay, were better fed, and were
consequently better — men than
ours. I replied they ought to be
ashamed of themselves, as the che-
ques they were receiving were on
His Majesty's service,
Cross-examined by Mr Clydesdale :
l am French by extraction. I didn't
know the particulars in connection
with the lumpers' strike. I was con-
cerned about the food supply. I be-
lieve he mentioned something about
a Royal Commission held in 1904.
I wouldn't swear that he quoted
any figures. I told him his remarks
were not fair to the soldier, or
to myself. Williams said he was a
reject, but if they conscripted him
he would "put a bayonet through
their guts.". I. didn't say the strik-
ers ought to be hanged or shot.
Had I done so, I would expect the
men to be annoyed. I can't remem-
ber all that took place.
By Sergt. Thomas : I said that in
Germany they would put the strik-
ers in the firing line.
To the Bench : Previous to June
14, I met defendant about half a
dozen times.
At this stage, Mr Clydesdale said
the Constable at Gingin had noti-
fied him that his witness Williams
had met with an accident and had
to be taken to Perth, and the
summons had not been served. He
asked for a further remand.
The Magistrate, after considering
the application, said he would
agree to the adjournment providing a
date was finally fixed, and after fur-
ther deliberation, adjourned the case
until Tuesday, 7th August, at 11
a.m., when the R.M. stated the case
would be gone on with whether the
witness Williams was present or not.

The A.L.F. State executive, at its last
meeting, decided to take up the case of
Alexander Lizars - recently prosecuted at
Geraldton under the War Precautions Act
regulations-and to make representations
to the Western Australian represenitative of
the Federal Attorney-General, with the ob-
ject of having the nominal conviction re-
corded against Lizars reviewed. A tele-
gram was sent to the Federal Attorney-
General, asking for the name of his West-
ern Australian representative, but up to
date no reply has been received. A tele-
gram to Senator Needham requesting the
same information elicited the response that
Messrs. Unmnack and Thomas were agents
in this State for the Commonwealth Crown
Solicitor, but the federation has been in-
formed by these gentlemen that they are
in no sense representatives of the Federal
Attorney-General. The federation then
communicated with the Commissioner .of
Police who, however, declared that he was
unable to assist them to locate the repre-
sentative in this State of the Federal At-
torney-General. Mr. A. Clementson (assist-
ant secretary to the A.L.F.) remarked yes-
terday :- "Apparently the Federal Attorney-
General has no representative in this State,
and any matters that require adjusting
have got to be referred to Melbourne. This
conclusion, coupled with the fact that tele-
grams to the Federal Attorney-General
are ignored, provides a startling illustration
of the folly of unification which nowadays
is. regarded by some as the panacea for
our troubles."