MR BEN TILLETT AND LORD DEVONPORT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 215, 7 September 1912, Page 18

MR BEN TILLETT AND LORD DEVONPORT.

AW UNANSWERED IMPIOUS PRAYER. REPiniATBD BY LABOUR PARTY. A gathering of about 20,000 strikers, who hail previously marched through the' City of London, took place on Tower Hill on Wednesday, July 3."). The huge assemblage was addressed, by Mr Ben Tillett. who said: " Devonport has contributed to the murder, by starvation, of our children, our women, and our men. I am not going to ask you to do it, but call upon (rod to strike Lord Devonport dead. Those in favour hold up your right hand. (Nearly all responded.) That's right; now say after roe, 'Oh. God, strike Lord De.vonport dead.'" . There was a hearty response, and the crowd chanted. " He shall die: he shall die.' Mr Tillett added: •' I quite mean that, and 1 hope yon mean it. Vermin like that ought not to live-" 'TIL LETT CURSING DKVONPOKT." Mr Bob Williams, the new general secretary of the Transport Workers* Federation, confessed he did not think the strikers were " Hoys of the bulldog breed," a.« they sang in the procession that they were, or -they would not sub-' mit in the supine way they had. "Mr Lloyd (ieorgp told iw," he proceeded, "■that the only way to bring about peace is having more war. and if Mr Lloyd I George wants disturbance lie ought to Fhare it."

MR BEX TILLETT. Mr .lames Anderson (Stevedores) said: "Mr Lloyd George's statement in the House .last night niearw that you have been too quiet. If they want disturbance they shall h.ive it. We have got to do what the sulTragnttes have done, appeal ■to tone, nnd -use it on every occasion upon which w> get n chance."' Mr (.'unninghntne Graham said: "I admire Bi.'ii TVliott's prayer and your response, but I cannot help thinking that a. great Power is on strike, too. ("We'll do it ourselves, (hen.") Capitalists have purchased Press, Parliament, and pulpit, and sometimes I think the Great Power, too. I should like to see is a general ortrike, which means a general revolution."

Mr J. O'Gnidy, MJ , ., described Lord Devonport as the worst type of criminal that he had ever come into contact with.

Mr Ramsay AJacdunald, chairman of the. Labour party, was oue of the speaker* on Tuesday.'lli- said: "When I think of you and yonr wives and children, and your sufferings, and of that man, who has no kindness, no consideration, no humanity in him. it is almost impossible to talk within the bound* of reason.

'" i only wish he were here now, that he might, see sonic of hi-i handiwork. It is difficult to find words for the feelinga in our hearts regarding a man who disregards our common humanity trad stands by. like this superannuated grocer, and in the pride of his heart and the stubbornness of hie spirit, says: I will not treat with you. 1 will not bargain or negotiate with you. You must lick the dust off my chocs and go into the docks without conditions.'

"I cannot advise you what to do; you must take the responsibility for that upon yjMiTßelves. But so long as you have a particle, of self-respect you will hate these .people and those standing by them. We have done all we could to help you. and God knows it has been very little." At Thursday's meeting on Tower Hill Mr Tillett said they all knew that their prayers of i.he previous day regarding Lord Devonport had not been fulfilled, and only on Wednesday night tljat inhuman monster hnd .told a membeT of Parliament that lie would have no interTention from any quarter.

LORD Dl 5 VOXPORT. MORI-: BLASPHEMY. Mr Tillett. at Thursday's strike meeting, paid: " I see God has not curried out our prayer yet." He added that Lord Devonport. " the dictator of London, of England, of Parliament, of the .Throne, said in his most superior manner: ' I will have no intervention. I, God Almighty Dcvonport. will have no intervention.'"

Mr Williams, secretary of the Transport Workers' Federation, said that the Liberal Press had taken tlie pretext of TWrtt's pTayer to veer round from their sirio. Up knew that. Tillett <lid not believe in Hod any more than lx>rd Devonport did.

QUESTION IN PARLIAMENT.

The "prayer" was the subject of a question in the Mouse of Commons on Thursday. Major Archer Khee asked the Home .Secretary whether his attention had been called to the no-called "'prayer" and statement of one B. Tillrtt on Tower Hill, and whether the arrest of this man had been ordered, in view of the. continuous and repeated incitements to murder and violence.

Before an answer could be given, Mr Crooks said: "Id he aware "that the[ utterances of Mr Ren Tillett on Tower! Hill yesterday with regard to Lord Devonport lire repudiated by the majority of 'the hour members of this House? They join with others in expressing abhorrence at su<-h conduct."' '' 1 am personally delighted to hear, I hot," said Air MtKenna. "In Mewer

to the other question, I am advised iha<t Mr Tillett's co-called 'prayer ,, is not an incitement to murder upon which an indictment conld be founded." A similar reply was given to ,Mr Peel, who asked: "Did not Mr Tillett allude to Lord Devonport as ' that sort of vermin?' Is not that kind oi utterance to men suffering from the strike an incitement to violence and murder?"

Major Archer-Shee asked whether the attempts of Meears Mann, Wilson, Gosling, Williams and Civnn'rnghame Graham to organise a general strike of transport workers of the country did not constitute a conspiracy. Mr Mclvenna said he was advised that the fnctrf, so fur as knowoi to him, did not constitute a conspiracy.

LORD DEVON-PORT'S CAREER. Lord Devojiport, who was horn plain Hudson Kearley, is a self-made man. Here is a bricrf record of hie career: —

1856.—'Born of fanning stock, at Uxbridgc, 'Middlesex. 1872.—Left Surrey County School to go Into a tea office as clerk, "without

salary. —Took service with another tea dealer's as clerk, wt iGO a yew. IS7o.—Founded a tea ftrtn of hie own ■without liny employees. 1880.—Was drawing out of hie business on ineomo nt £2.000-£3,000 a year. 1881 —'Starred ttVOi ■Mγ Ton**-, the Interim tiornil Stores ((rrocers , shore all over llic country). Present time. --Internetlonal Stores, orer 200 hi number, capital a million stesrHn-g, income six figures. Of course he had a pood clear brain to start with. But it is hard work that makes money. As a clerk he got up every morning before si*, breakfasted at half-past, left for his office- at 7.15, and got back home at eight in the evening. He had a definite ambition in view. He wanted to get out of the "office" and to pet into the " sale room." ! Xow it wan usual, almost indispensable, for those who went into the sale room to pay a large premium, sometimes as much «* 500 guineas, never less than £300. Voting Hudson Kearley's father could not pay this. Yet the son made up hi* mind to get there a.ll the same, and he did- He showed his employee that, he meant to rise. They were glad to take him in without any premium. A los3on that, to the young men of today, who too often expect advancement to drop upon them without any effort of their own. Tkat is. in brief. Lord Devcmport s bufliaess history. But it is far from betag the full record of his life. He has found time for many other activities. He was for many years an energetic Radical M.P. He was in a small post a. ueeiul member of the Government. Then came the chance he had been looking for— chance to tarn to account his energy and his experience of affaire. He saw the Port of London Act safely into law, end then became head of the public body charged to run it as a public utility. The Act attached a salary of £4,000 to this post. Lord Dcvonport said he did not need the money. The honour of serving the nation would be sufficient reward. His conception of public service forces him to do his best for the public, even if that expose him to the fury of foojieh lips. He could easily pain popularity by giving way. Personally he can gain nothing -whatever by holding out for his principle — the respect of those who can recognise a man when they see one.