OTHER SPEAKERS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 140, 15 June 1909, Page 3

OTHER SPEAKERS.

Mr. O'Regan wanted 'to know what would be dono to anyone if he refused j to serve under the proposed system. Would not he be sent to prison ? That was, conscription, notwithstanding what the supporters of the movement might say. He would be the last to circumscribe the liberty of Civil servants or anyone else, but he asked why were Civil servants, who supported the movement so openly, treated differently in J this matter to the way they treated Mr. G rattan Gray, a Civil servant who took a line that was opposed to the Government? He objected to the people being "dragooned" by officers of the De•fence Department. (A voice: "Why don't you 'spouters' join the volunteer's^ then?") He protested against the outrage proposed by Mr. Massey and his first lieutenant (Mr. Allen) that this matter should be decided by the present Parliament. If it was put to a referendum it would be rejected by 75 per cent. He called upon the workers to oppose this system of conscription in disguise, and expressed his regret that Mr. M'Nab, in his old age, had become a sort of "Mad Mullah" 'of the movement. (Applause, and hooting.) Mr. W. T. CYoung, secretary of the Australasian Seamen's Union, said the movement did not emanate from the workers. (A voice : "What about Andrew Fisher?") He would tell them about that in a moment. The promoters of the movement in Npw Zealand were a few volunteer officers, and the originators of it were the capitalists of Great Britain. What was the scheme of Andrew Fisher? (A voice: "Compulsory military training!") He brought down a definite scheme ; one that the monied classes would have had to bear the expense of. There was no scheme brought down in New Zealand. Andrew Fisher's scheme was a thorough one ; it did not propose to put the burden on the shoulders of the over-raxed working man, who was least able to bear it. The volunteer system had been starved in New Zealand , the capitation grant was insufficient ; and if it had proper financial assistance it would be sufficient for defence. Those who advocated compulsion should be handed a gun and sent down to the Solomon Islands. (A voice: "Quite right; Solomon lor wisdom !" and laughter.) The speaker's address was a long one, and there were frequent cries of "Time"; once a football referee's whistle was blown, amidst great laughter ; "We want Hogg;" and frequent uprisings of Comrade Dowdall (in the audience) to protest against interruptions and to ask why a neighbouring policeman was not doing his duty. "A PEACEFUL REVOLUTION." Mr. Robert „ Hogg said he had no objection to the movement, on the ground of expense ; if it was right we should have it, regardless of expense, but if it was wrong we should iiot have it at any

price. It was idle to say it v/as fear prevented the working classes from accepting it; every one knew that more men were killed in working for capitalists than there were in making war for them. The fear of Germany was being worked up because of the desires of British capitalists to take people's minds off economic questions. There was no need for -Germany to go to war to expand her markets; her goods were in every shop in Wellington already ; tuid there was no need to fear that Britain itnd Germany ever would go to war. He, as a revolutionary Socialist, came foi- ' ward to oppose the meeting — (hooting ! and cheers). He would try to make it a peaceful revolution. (A voice : '.'Oh, j ■thank yon ; so much !'") But hn warneu j working people to beware of the present movement. Economic slavery followed Imperialism wherever its flag was unfurled. A little while later there were interruptions, but the Mayor asked for or- | der, and the speaker was allowed to oonlimie his speech in comparative quiet, until two persons tried to make points of order about the speaker's persistence in preaching Socialism instead of confining his speech to compulsory military training. Mr. Hogg concluded with some references to "thirty bob a

week clerks who came there to make clamour," and those who considered themselves concerned sang heartily, "We'll hang old Hogg on a sour apple tree."'