LABOUR MEETINGS

Grey River Argus, 27 April 1925, Page 3

LABOUR MEETINGS

REEFTON’ AND WAIUTA. On Thursday night, Mr Jas. O'Brien, M.P., addressed a well-at-tended meeting at the Pririeess Theatre, Reefton on the political questions of the day. Mr. O'Brien spoke for an hour and a. half an cned to with attention through, nil his address. Mr. D. McKunie (Secretary of he Inar.gahua Coal and Gold Miners’ Union) occupied the eha’r. Mr. O'Brien dealt with the reductions of land and income tax made h\ the Reform Government during tl.< Parliamentary sessions of 1923-24; and held that the Reform and Liber:-] Parties represented the money-lenders and the money-lending instituti >ns« while the Government gave a wav to the wealthiest class approximately three million annually, the same Government saw to it that the civil -e:vatnts and the other workers did not have their salaries raased to the prewar level as measured in the purchasing power of wages. Again the banks, the shipping companies, an ’ the insurance companies were allow‘‘•i to make huge profits, and to keep on rrfcaiking them. The speaker* pointed out that the producers were be’ng strangled by the burden of interest which was being forced from them by the money lenders, and, if something were not done, either the rate of - terest, or wages and conditions had to be forced down. Mr. O‘Brien held that the money-lenders and their representatives wore behind the Govern ment, and they would see to it d-at it was waiges and the conditions of employment that would bo redu -ed from wha.t they were now. He lielJ it was very necessary that pens’Oii> would be increased beyond what tl.< v stood at present, and that the!, should be placed on the Statute Bock and Invalidity Pensions Act what would give sick workers their wives and fannilies sufficient to live upon until such workers recovered. He specially dealt with the necess>tv ol improvement n the Miners’ Phthisis Pension, since it w:ns only when a man was sentenced to death—could only live a. few years—that a pension was granted. Hj earnestly urged his audience to form a stro’-g bra'nch of trrLabour Party in Reefton. and to *•>!<■' their plaices shoulder to shoulder i'b the workers in other parts of the Dominion fo rthe capture of the pil'tical machine.

At the conclusion, of Mr. O'Brien : speech, a strong branch of the 1 ah ui • Party was formed with Mr. J. " Patterson as President end M. Burnett as Secretary. A hearty vote to the speaker f«w hi excellent address concluded th" m • ! ing. AT WAIUTA. Yesterday afternoon. 1 O'Brien, M.P-. Mr. A. Greenwood ;.mi Mr. J.'W. Patterson addressed a "I 1 attended meeting at Waint:' <»n lb • question of industrial ami p'l 'i. .i organisation. The meeting was pi* sided over by Mr. AV. Hines, v.lh. in troduced the speakers and i.nne-i.n an attentive hearing on their Iwlrd Mr. O’Brien was the prim ma! speaker, and was in good speak'ng form. Taking it ns a seientilie mo nomic fact that the workers' organisations could not stand still— thait Hiev must either go forward or backward Mr. O'Brien warned his hearers 'inn every privilege thev had "o M n oast had to be jealously guarded for if not. they would fin<\their wages. S'nmlard of living and working condi tions lowered. Alluding to the rnvr'--es of the miners' phthisis. Mr O'line-, held that the Reefton quartz miners had suffered trememhiislv from that complaint. He had himself w< rkml m the Reefton mines over twenty years ago, and in one contract, tdthmigi. many of the contractors were younger that he, every man but one had gom to his death through miners phthrcs S’et when an increase in the miners pension wn.s asked for. tile Govermi.-mt rocked :i deaf err. If an old ngpensioner earned a f"" pounds ami his wife went out washing and eliariing, to try and get sufficient mono to live on. they found their pensions cut if their combined pensions ami income totalled £l3O per year. A; a n’otnber of Parlia.ment, many of tn old people came to him ccmpbintng about the injustice of such cut I. tiedown of their pensions- ft aas rn injustice. Everyone knew it was. And stich an injustice would not b<- rerr'--died until they had a Labour Parte in power, backed by a strong industr'il movement-. They watnted unity, not npaithy. in the Labour Movement •_ and the whole of the fight should be ear ried on in a united front. Mr A. H. Greenwood (Chairman o the Directors of the G.rev River Argus Companv) gave a resume of the workings of the company since Labnc took control. Ho stressed th- f’gnm the paper had put up for the workers, both in the industrial and polifen field, and urged his hearers tn stmv by the paper that always stood hv them. Mr. ,T. W. Patterson, the representative of flic Reefton Miners' Tnion. gave an interesting account of his stewardship. Tn conclusion he stated that while many trade unionists no d Cd nor week mto their union, thee - qq p P ,. week for a capitalist pa per that always backed anv ™mem. n. to cut wages and lengthen the Im tn* n-nrk. » At the conclusion of tkc ndo’' ' " ‘rni"stions ’yoro oski'il, vem satisfactorily pn»wc-o<l. .A very nromism-c branch ■ f boor Partv was formed with Tl jnc. ami ATr M f* ommi •sinnnl President and socri ta-v re n tivelv.