State Miners’ New Hall

Grey River Argus, 20 August 1937, Page 6

State Miners’ New Hall

An Ornament To Runanga To-Night’s Opening Celebration

MONUMENT TO CO-OPERATIVE ENTERPRISE

Like its predecessor which was a source of inspiration to every inhabitant of New Zealand’s only State mining township, the new State Miners’ Hall, which will be opened to-night, is a monument to the co-operative spirit of the workers of Runanga. By their combined efforts they raised the hall which served the needs of the district for nearly 30 years until its destruction by fire on January 3 last. Renewed effort has culminated in the erection of a more commodious building, with the largest dance floor on the West Coast, and for their work the inhabitants of Ru. nanga are heartily to be commended.

With its familiar motto, “United We Stand, Divided We Fall,” the old hall was citadel of many industrial battles, and the scene of memorable meetings in the dark days of the 1913 strike. As a centre of industrial activity, it served Runanga well, and in its portals many men—many who were destined to play a leading pact in placing New Zealand in the forefront so far as industrial and social legislation was concerned—made stirring speeches throughout the.years OLD HALL OPENED. Built at a cost of £lOOO in 1908, the hall was opened on December 4 of that year by the present Labour Minister of Public Works (Hon. R. Semple), who was chairman of the committee responsible for its erection and also President of the State Miners’ Union. Mr Semple, who made a most forceful speech on the occasion, said that it had always been his aim in life to better the conditions of the worker. He claimed that the Miners’ Union had made great progress, and was as far advanced as any in the Dominion. He urged the miners to stick together and work in the common cause of uplifting themselves and their families.

. A lengthy toast list was proposed during the subsequent banquet, the speakers being Messrs Fry, Semple, Rostrum, Southward, W. Murray, J. Patterson. P. C. Webb, Newton, Jackson, Coppersmith, A. Guinness (later Sir Arthur Guinness), J. Kerr, M.L.C.. Neilson, Bishop, and Coulthard. . \ The evening of the opening was given open to dancing, one of the most pleasant balls ever held on the West Coast being attended by several hundred dancers from all parts of the district.

From the outset, the hall had the recognised best dance floor on the West Coast. The hall measured 111 feet by 45 feet, and was in later years equipped with a picture projection apparatus, the first moving pictures being shown on October 19, 1926. Pictures soon proved to be a source of revenue, and during the New South Wales strike in Australia the Union gave the proceeds of each Tuesday’s pictures to the New South Wales strike fund, so that left the business with only Thursday and Saturday to make profits for itself. Times were becoming less prosperous in the mining industry, and with the introduction of sound films, the attendances at the hall began to dwindle In 1931, a talkie plant was secured, and this welcome addition turned the tide in favour of the hall, with the result that profits were again being made. From these, welcome additions were made to the hall, a sum of over £3OO being expended on new seating accommodation shortly before the building was destroyed. At one time the hall was mortgaged in order to keep the “N.Z. Worker” newspaper going, whilst on another occasion it was further mortgaged with the object of securing bonds for Labour Leaders who had been imprisoned.

When the ravages of fire swept through the building early on the morning of January 3 last, nothing was saved, and the hones arid ambitions of the miners received a severe setback. However, an insurance of £2,500 on the building and £B5O on the talkie plant was an assurance that the hall would be replaced, and the work has steadily progressed to be brought to a successful conclusion this evening.

MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER OF MINES. WELLINGTON, August 19. The following telegram was received yesterday by Mr James O’Brien, M.P., from the Hon. P. C. Webb (Minister of Mines): — Up until this afternoon I had expected to be able to attend the opening of the New Miners’ Hall at Runanga, to-morrow afternoon, but in view of the return of Mr Savage and Mr Nash, * Cabinet is sitting almost continuously, and with fopr of our Members away absent tnrough illness, I find it utterly impossible to leave Wellington at the present moment. Nothing would have given me greater pleasure than to be present at the opening. The old hall had many pleasant memories, and was of wonderful service to the Labour Movement. It might truthfully be said that with the opening of the old Miners’ Hall, the dawn of a new day for Labour commenced. My earnest wish is that as the years pass by, we will all be abte’to look back to the opening of the new Hall with the same spirit as we do when thinking of the old building. No town in Australasia has played a more important part in the building up of the Labour Movement than the township of Runanga. Three of the present Members of the Cabinet received their political education within the four walls of the old Hall, whilst two, in the persons of. Messrs Hamilton Knight, M.L.A., and (‘Digger” Dunn, are members of the Australian Parliament, to say nothing about your life-long work with us in the cause at Runanga. May the new Hall ever last to be the Temple of Labour for the West Coast. My hearty congratulations to all:who participated in the building of the new Hall. Kindly congratulate Mr George Millar for the great work he did in the. building of the old and new Halls. P, C. WEBB.