"FACTORY GIRL WIVES."

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16205, 7 May 1918, Page 7

"FACTORY GIRL WIVES."

AND "DECORH-M.'

A LIVELY MEETING

X lively meeting took placp in the grades llall h"<t night to protest -gainst certain remarks alleged to have been made at Amberby. by the Mayor 0 f Christ church 'Mr H. Holland) with regard to New Zealand soldiers bringing back English factory girls as wives. Tho meeting was disorderly throughout, a noisv section attempting to tnko things*' o hand early in the proceedings. 3lrs Mathieson wis a4:ed to take the

chair. , , Mrs Mathieson slated thai the nicotine hod been failed as a protest against the Mavor's reflations on factory girls, not onlV in England,, but all over , the world 'She chnriirtorisofl Mr Holland s remark* as instilling in the extreme, and stronglv advised that the meeting should go in a body either to the City Council meeting or to the .Mayor's house and prote-t verbally. She called' upon members of the meeting to state their opinions. "BELGIUM,S' AND DJVCHIC.PK A ladv at the back of tho hall thereupon rose il, "l attempted to address the meeting, (-'(ion the invitation of the ehftirwoman she mounted the platform viwl delivered a lengthy and somewhat incoherent speech, commencing by declaring her surprise at "the insulting remarks made by such a well-educated gentleman as the Mayor." ''We should w-ork together to win this war,' 1 proceeded tho speaker amid applause. "We can work and give the money. English girls don't spend their husbands' money. TTiey aren't allowed to. I haven't had anew costume for five years. (Laughter, and cries of 'Oh!") J. givo niv money to tho little IJelgiums, and never get my name in the paper. The English girls are working making fly inn; machines to fly with, and guns to slvoot with, and if they put down the guns owing to this insult of the Mayor of Christchurch, how are we going to win the war: (Wild applause.) If they come out of the factories Mr Holland irilldrojj his head in shame. (Applause.) When English soldiers come home their •wives have nice little homes for them. What havo tho New Zealand returned men to face? Poverty, and perhaps a divorco!" (Laughter.)

Amid ecstatic applause tho speaker concluded her orntion with some iiery tttnarks about men who loave their wires at homo while walking somebody else along the river bank. Mil HOLLAND'S REMARKS. The next speaker was Mr C. H. Morrison, a returned soldier, who stated that although ho had nothing to do with calling tho meeting, ho was tho man who brought Mr Holland's remarks under public notice. He was a New Zealander, and was proud of it. (Hear, hoar.) His wife was British. British girls were helping to win the war. They were being gassed in the factor]os making munitions. Did New Zealand girls do that? An interjoctor: They're not foolish enough. (Cries of "Put him out!") Tho Chairwoman: Order, please. Mr Morrison then road a letter which hp said the papers had refused to publifih. Ho bad called Mr Holland a liar to hiß face, and the meeting should make Mr Holland apologise. There were various interjections at this point: "He'd shuffle out." "Wait till the boys come back," etc. A man in tho body of tho hall then rose and asked if it would be possible to suo Mr Holland for criminal libel, iio tbcught the trade unions should take tho matter lip. Where were tho heads of the unions? He was disgusted not to see them on tho platform. » Mr Morrison moved: r ' That the meeting call on Mr Holland to apologue for his slanderous references to the English wires of ret timed soldiers."

A woman: J move that we go round to his house and give him a good shakeup. (Applause and uproar.) The chairwoman: Order, order! A man: Mrs Chairwoman, I don't think wo should go round to his house. If We do the papers will call it a disgraceful scene, and — lady (loudly interjecting): We could go in a quiet, lady-like manner! (Laughter and applause.) Another man; I agree, with the speaker. If we go, some of the gentlemen here might finish ut> in Hereford etreet. We don't want forty thousand police chasing us. Let us form a committee. A female voice (complainingly): Not only that. He eaid wo were undesirables 1 The chairwoman then put the motion, demanding an apology. A voice (shrilly): Through Sir James Allan. What will lie have to sayP Tho chairwoman then called for a snow of hands, and elimhing on to a chair declared the motion carried. "DECORIOUS" PROCEEDINGS.

.Here a lady expressed her opinion thai- half the audience didn't know what the motion was. Two men comi raenced a wordy argument, in the course of which one Was heard to declare that he had come to defend his kith and kin. His mother was a lactory girl. Hadn't the Mayor slandered factoiy girls? ("Yes, yes.") Then let them all go found ahd make him apoloVio.

' • Proceeding further the argument took ,<m a very lively tone, words "You're a wrl 1 ' being plainly distinguished above • the nproar. . 'The chairwoman (banging on the itole); Order, please. 1 Another man theu rose and said that : meeting must, preserve its "dei OMiuhi." If they went to the Mayor's vhouse they would be barking like a lot . of dogs and do themselves a lot of . harm. The newspapers would say they .»tePB going back, to their old habits of .street-corner rows. ■ By, this time half-a-dozen people were attempting to shout each other down, "fie hum possessed of n. stentorian . toice succeeded in delivering a lengthy. Vted impassioned oration, in which ne '-hut that he know nien of Mr Holland's aeallfljery,'' and, working up to a climax, made some objectionable ro®Arks concerning the Mayor. 0 ü b a * fwoman: "Order, order."' »ne thoA put it to the meeting as to Whether & committee should be formed "> defflflnd the apology. Upon a show «f mfids being made she declared the desolation earned. /A Voico: Through tho Press. ; Another Voice: That will sell more papers—more money for the War Loan. i electing a committee. ; A man (rising): Mm Chairman, 1 BObnld like to move that one of the ctaualttoo be the bloke that called me *Ji#r» (Laughter.) r A femalo voice: If Mr Holland thinks ® U gentleman, we won't lower our* * to tell him ho isn't. (Moro toghter.) chairwoman: We must decide many are to go on tho cotnmittec, •ad when, it is to see the Mayor. A Voice (ironically): Go to-bight, JOu might get some supper. i_ re a man asked if the meeting taew what Mr Holland had really said. ' Mr Morrison thereupon read the rc**r*B as ho had totted tlietn down, •ddhig the remarks weren't really as ' "wong as the Mayor's, as he (the ; *»ier\h a d been a little bit confused . tho time. • Cries of "Shame!" and 'Edition!" XoUowed the reading. . Morrison was then elected to the j also the lady "Who hod first - In chairwoman requested \ S tnose elected to go on to the platA # ln i. • 0 election of the committee | J** ° an i? proceeded with when a man I that there should ho an I flmT £ Uln^er men and women. I first lady (waring her mufF): No,

indeed! Thero's ten women to every man in Iho country. (Laughter.) The election of tho committee -was completed without further discussion. Tho Chairwoman: Ladies and gentlemen, you eon before you your committee. MR MORRISON WITHDRAWS. Mr Morrison hero said that it would be impossible lor him to go on the committee. A woman's voieo (angrily): It isn't fair that the man who started the troubiy should back out. It's oniy right he should go with the deputation. .vir .Morlison explained that he had private reason, ior withdrawing. Thu voice (shouting): Well, he shouldn't have written tho letter. Cri»s of "i'ty, he should." The voire (obstinately): If I write a letter 1 .stand by it. He .shouldn't ha vo written it. Mr -Morrison: I would defend my wife against the world. The Chairwoman: I closa the discussion. A man : Make a special day for tho deputation. \Vo can't leave it till T<'-:ip War. Ji whs then agreed, oil the motion of the chairwoman, to ring up the Mayor, asking him to fix a day on which to rtveive the deputation, and the meeting closed.