SOLDIERS' WIVES

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16211, 14 May 1918, Page 6

SOLDIERS' WIVES

the mayor censured

There was a very large attendance at the Trades Hall last evening at a meeting called to consider the result of the deputation to the Mayor (Mr H. Holland) in connexion with his now famous remarks about soldiers and factory girls from the Old Country. Tho majority of those present at the meeting were of the sex usually designated as -'the weaker, ' but there was a very fair sprinkling of men also. -\irs lUathitson, who occupied tho chair, said she supposed all tnose present Had seen tile Mayor's reply to the deputation that had waited upon him a lew days ago, in which, ho alleged that Mr U ii Morrison had not been at the Aniberlev meeting at all. Mr Morrison had been communicated with, had replied in two telegrams to the ? th ' lt he had learned the particulars of the Mayor s remarks at the Amberley meeting immediatelv after' the speech had been made, Mid that he (-Morrison) could fully prove all nis statements. He also suggested that the matter should be referred to tho Returned Soldiers' .Association. The Mayor said the chairwoman, had not satisfied the deputation that he had not made the statements credited to him and had, a s a matter of fact adnutted some of them, but had qualified them. Hie fact that he had admitted having made them, however, was bad took a lot of explaining

A , ™ at \ r in , tlie audience commented that Mr Morrison had not attended tho meeting to back up his allegations. •Anyw ay, the subject had nothing at all to do with the Returned Soldiers' \ssociaiion. Tho chairwoman said Mr Morrison was working f or the Defence Department, and possibly could not get awav conveniently. Another man said Mr Morrison was the principal witness in the whol e ca*e, and he apparently had backed out of supporting the deputation. What was Morrison, anyway—a red cap? The chairwoman said that Mr Morrison was not a red cap; he was a sergeant-major, and he could not break the rules of the military. It did not moan losing his job onlv for him—it meant gaol. A male supporter of the chairwoman, a .Lancashire man, maintained that tho Mayor had practically admitted infening that the English factory girl made herself cheap. He had qualified it by saying that he had not moant it, out that was no excuse—men had already got six months for saying what they had not meant. (Applause.) Tho speaker indignantly repudiated the insinuation that the English factory girls would make themsolves cheap or tempt the New Zealand soldiers to bo unfaithful to their women folk in tho Dominion. H 0 drew a vivid picture of [ ,0. Lancashire girls' life, especially during.the. war, when they had done the most magnificent work for the Empire. He maintained that a more hardworking, decently-bohaved lot of girls could not be_ found anywhere in tho world. Ho did not say they were hotter than Now Z'eaJand girls; h© would not presume to criticise them or mako invidious comparisons, though h e had his own opinions, and he considered that tho Mayor had displayed the grossest bad taste and feeling 'in saying,. what_ ho had even in fun, if it was said in fun. The speaker said that he realised that the Mayor had broken no law for which ho could be punished, but ho had broken the spirit of tho British heart. All ho could suggest was that at the next election the people should show their appreciation or otherwise of tho Mayor's action at the ballot box. (Loud applause.) The chairwoman then asked what tho mooting intended to do with regard-to tho Mayor's action. It was suggested that SergeantMajor Morrison should be askod to meet those ""'ho were interested in the matter at a subsequent meeting. It was said that it wa s doubtful if tho Defence authorities would Let him. It was impossible to know what Ser-geant-Major Morrison's position was. A member present asked what could bo dono under the circumstances. Could another deputation ask tho Mavor to resign ? Tho chairwoman said that such a deputation would not carry any weight. It might bo possiblo to get a petition up, and if sufficient signatures were obtained the Mayor would bo forced to resign.

A further suggestion was made that a legal opinion should be obtained to see if an information for sedition would not lie against the Mayor. Tho chairwoman said that the Mayor's utterance was not sedition, it was slander. A Voice: It's a lie. The chairwoman: It might bo possible to ask the Mayor to meet them all at a meeting. A Voice: Hb wouldn't come. Another woman suggested that ?t would bo as well to lot tho matter drop. She thought tint they had said as much about the Mayor iis lie had said about tho factory girls. This suggestion was recoivcd with loud and unmistakable dissent. A Voice: Tho ballot box is tho only way to got at him. (Applause and cries of "That's the wav to make him feel!")

A desultory argument started which threatened to result in a comparison of New Zealand and English factory girls. This trend was deprecated bv a lady supporter of the chairwoman, who said that they had no wish at all to make any comparisons, but to work and live together in perfect. harmony and accord.

A Voice: After all, .it is Holland who has made himself tho cheapest of them all. (Applause.)

Further discussion onsued as to what was to be done to the Mayor, and tho ballot box weapon was generally approved. A speaker thought that the matter should Bo taken right into the churches. Many of those present wero on tho committees of churches or connected with ,them, and a good deal of feeling could be raised by this means which would be liable to hurt Mr Holland's cause.

A Voice: A very nice Christian feeling.

Another Voice: It's no good asking the parsons to do anything. He's one of them.

It was then moved: —"That this .meeting pass a voto of censure on the Mayor, and undertakes to remember him faithfully at the Ballot box."

An amencTmcnt was moved:—"That the Mayor bo asked to apologise, and failing this that he be asked to resign.'' The amendment was put and carried, and then n further amendment was proposed:—"That a committeo be sot up to canvass the city for signatures io a petition asking the Mayor to resign.''

This amendment, on being put, was voted on in rather a hesitating manner, but was declared carried on a show of hands, the majority being a very substantial one.

Tho chairwoman then asked for volunteers for the comraittoe, but there I seemed to be a certain coyness displayed in responding to the request. A kind of deadlock ensued, and it was decided to rescind the motion previously carried, and the following motion wag unanimously passed:—"That this meeting censures the Mayor for his uncalled-for and unwiso allegations at Amberlcy regarding the English factory girls." It was decided to forward this resolution to the Mayor, and the meeting terminated.