LABOUR RALLY

Evening Post, Volume xciv, Issue 73, 24 September 1917, Page 3

LABOUR RALLY

WELCOME TO MR. R. SEMPLE

Under the auspicea of the Social Democratic Party there was a large gathering of representatives of the various local Labour organisations in tha King's Theatre last night. * The object of the gathering was to extend a welcome to Mr. Robert Semple, who has been away from Wellington for some months. Many people were unable to gain admission to the building. Mr. H. E. Holland occupied the chair. The following motion was moved by Mr. W. T. Young, secretary of the Seamen's Union: —"That this meeting of Wellington oitdzens heartily, welcomes Mr. Robert Semple back to freedom, and his place in the fighting ranks of the industrial and political army of the Democracy of New Zealand; and at the same time places on record its most emphatic condemnation of the tyrannical policy of the Massey-Ward Government, which flings working men into gaol for merely expressing their honeet thoughts, and thus makes for the subversion of every valued liberty." Mr. J. Reid, president of the Trades and Labour Council, seconded the motion. Mr. L. Glover, president of the Waterside Workers' Union, moved a motion expressing disapproval of the Government's action in gaoling repreeentatives of Labour who have done nothing but express honest opinions; also demanding that the men still in gaol should have restored to them their civil rights and liberties. The motions \yere carried unanimously. Speeches of welcome were also given by Mrs. Beck, secretary of the Women's Internationa! League ; Mrs. Snow, president of the Housewives' Union; Mr. J. Glover, secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party; and Mr. J. Hutchison, secretary of the Tramways Union. Mr. Semple had a flattering reception. He returned thanks to Labour for the welcome and for what they had done for his family while he was in gaol. From the Labour men still in durance vile he conveyed fraternal greetings. Mr. Semple went on to strongly condemn the action of the Government in many directions, and spoke strongly in regard to his treatment. Some of the more humorous incidents in gaol life were also dealt with by the speaker, who stressed! on his hearera the need to fight for liberty and so help on the dawning of a brighter day for Labour. The following motion was also earned unanimously:—"That, in view of the fact that it is dangerous to deprive any section of the people of the constitutional right to change bad laws, and also in view of the further fact that the law of conscription was placed on the Statute Book without the consent of the people, and that it coulS not possibly survive a referendum, this meeting unreservedly condemns the proposal of the Massey-Ward Government to protect the conscriptionist politicians by taking away the voting fights of the conscientious objectors."