THE SOCIALDEMOCRATS.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14860, 29 December 1913, Page 8

THE SOCIALDEMOCRATS.

MEETLN6;-IN= \ iCTORIA SQTJAKE

■ ..and^.ob- - ; iectsof theSocial IDemocratic Party, a ■■>*ne^in^w:i»W;iii-'Vi«oiria-.eq^areon : Saturday .night, when addresses were delivered by Messrs B. Hunter, J. ; Mr Hunter presided. There a much/smaller attendance than.at tjprevioos meetings held during the of the strike,- interest; having flagged;with the;official caU-'n^^off^f-'the'strike...; v 4 * TheChairman said;they in^ iWito deal at any length with strike s anatters, as there were many, problems vtwhich had:yet :to be dealt with before Wan -'effective-?settlement could .be v*socHeved., He read a manifesto from y %he Wellington • Shipwrights' Union ' 'tailing the points at-issue, and their '••',' various grievances. It' had been stated ifchat the calling off of ;the strike was ton acknowledgment by the Federation »f the defeat of organised Labour, but he considered that the.strike had been : a y triumph for the workers; as .it had shown them what could De attained by unity, and, moreover, had proved that their only remedy-for securing, redress ■of grievances was the adequate representation of the; working classin: Parliameiitr The Government (had backed up. the employers in the-use of illegal methods of smashing tne strike, and but for that the effects of the empjoy- ■ > merit of-"scab" labour would have Been negligible. However, the problem before them - now was that they must unite and pull together to secure the return of sufficient Labour members to prevent the use of such tactics in the future, and that they could do by " assisting! the Social Democratic Party. He urged them tdl to'do their utmost to" further the principles and interests of the Party-which stood for the best ideals and good, 'sound government. He appealed.for funds to carry on the cam- :•••'•■■ paign, as no. movement could succeed without the sinews of war. Mr J.- -.Thorn said that •-• now tho strike was over.there should be no re- . crimination or victimisation, but all ought to endeavour to bring about an -. honourable settlement.:■■-He noticed a .tendency towards victimisation In certain quarters, but dissension amongst the Labour leaders would avail their cause nothing. It was just the opporthe employers ana the capital- '?. istic JPr»jss were looking for, and they irould •do their ; utmost to widen tho ■ The leaders' should sink personal differences and work together ~for the great cause which they represented. He condemned the methods adopted By the Government in the interests of the , employers to smash the strike, and con.Hended that the now arbitration unions

were bogus unions under the Act, and

: could not legally esi6t v quoting cases in v support of his contention. Dealing with the political aspect of the situation, ho ■-.' urged them all to support the Social Democrats, who had the interests of , the country; at ' heart. They had., won two contests hands down. In the Lyt-' telton campaigntheir victory had been a brilliant .one, '■ seeing' that they were opposed by the combined Tory and Lib- .. «ral vote. This alliance gave colour to ;; the assertion that between official Lib«ralistn and official Toryism 'there was ;no difference, and therefore the work-jers'could-realise the proposition which .faced them, and act accordingly. They .were going to organise' branches throughout Canterbury. and prepare

for the r coming election, and it was the duty of everyone who had the interests of the Labour movement at heart to become an active worker in the cause. He condemned the present system of Parliamentary representation, whicu enabled a minority to control the affairs of the country, contrary to the expressed, wish of the great mass of th© people. He also issued -an appeal for financial assistance towards th© funds of the Social Democratic Party. Mr- Hunter hero stated that h© wished to emphatically contradict a rumour which had been circulated to the effect that the old Drivers' Union was defunct. It was just as flourishing as ever, and had not lost a single member, its membership now being over 600;

Mr J. McCombs, M.P., said that although the strike was officially oyer, there were several important points which remained to be decided in connexion therewith. He would not deal with the subject at present, but wished to explain the aims and objects of the Social Democratic Party, and the proposals it put forward for better conditions and better government of the country. It had been stated by the combined capitalistic Press of the Dominion that because ho supported the principles of the Social Democratic Party, therefore he favoured anarchy as propounded by the Federation ot Labour. Anarchy; as all understood it, was the negation of government, but the Social Democratic Party stood for good, sound government by the people, not by a small section of the people, and that could not be called anarchy. Tho speaker then enumerated the various planks of tho Party's platform, explaining the object of each proposal. He dealt at considerable length with tho proportional representation scheme, condemning the present system of party government, whereby a minority was enabled to dictate to the people. What they wanted was that all classes should be represented in Parliament, and that no legislation should be placed on the Statute Book until th© wishes of all sections of tho community had been ascertained. That embodied all th© best principles of government, and there would never be complete satis faction until such a system prevailed. Mr McCombs then briefly outlined the party proposals relating to industrial matters and disputes, monopolies, etc., urging that the policy of the Social Democratic Party was the only practicable solution of the present ulScuities.