THE UNEMPLOYED.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXII, Issue 15715, 7 September 1911, Page 4

THE UNEMPLOYED.

THE RIGHT TO "WORK

REVOLUTIONARY SOCIALISTIC

MEETING

At half-past ton yesterday morning, the time appointed for Uig mass meeting of the unemployed in the Square, some twonty-five persons only had congregated, but shortly afterwards an individual with a stentorian voice mounted an improvised platform and invited tho passers-by and ail unemployed to draw near to hoar the grievances of tlio3o then out of work. In a short while, thanks to tho forcible speaking of the individual on tho platform, the number had increased to close on cue hundred and iiity, men of all sorts and conditions. It was difficult to aeo signs of hardship, however, on most or them, for tho majority puffed stolidly away at pipes, and a number of watches, silver and otherwise, flashed in the, sun as their owners compared time with the Post Oilico clock when it struck eleven. At times, too, the remarks of tho speakers did not receive that attention which ono would have expected in the circumstances, various relevant and irrelevant subjects being discussed in loud tones. Tho first to mount tho platform was Mr Griffiths, who explained that u large number of the unemployed present were there because they had refused to act in a manner not conducive to the betterment of the workers. There were undoubtedly largo numbers out of employment at that time, and it was a crying shamo in a country known as God’s Own Country. They were there to force the employers to do something for tho workers who could not do anything for themselves. They must. com. pel tho civic authorities to do something for them. The speaker had been in the position of being out of work and hunting for work, and he could sympathise with those before him. it was a shame that men should bo out of work in a country which could give away a Dreadnought, and in which some people could rido in their motorcars.

Mr Wyatt Jones, the convener of tho mooting, delivered an address dealing for tho most part with tho propaganda of tho Socialists. He railed at tho competitive system, ascribing the fact that there were so many, unemployed to that system. The wife and family of tho rich man, he said, were parasites, living on the working man, and it was the competitive system which turned men and women on to tho strocts like stray dogs. They were agitating for tho right to work. The speaker had evidence of the amount of poverty there was in the city, but it was hard to get the poverty-stricken to come forward. Ho had no doubt whatever that they would he misrepresented by the Press, which would say, that thero were only a few at tho meeting, and so forth. Ho produced a bundle of letters which, he said, were from unemployed people, many or whom were starving, and had to have clothes given to them, the speaker stated, and that was only a small portion of, the poverty in tho country. In answer to a question, the spenkor said that tho capitalists were using the military sytern to still further beat the working-man down. It had been said that there should bo brotherly love betweon tho capitalist and tile workingman. but tho only brotherly lovo tho speaker knew of was to bo found amongst tho working classes. Tho capitalist was organising the military to shoot them down. Tho workers did not want charitv, they wanted the right t.o work. He went on to quote an article from a Socialist paper with regard to a statement alleged to have been made by the Duko of Marlborough to tho effect that Britain should send its waste children, the inmates of workhouses and the degenerates to New Zealand to people New Zealand’s waste lands. Ho dealt with an article from tho "Lyttelton Times,” under the heading of “ A Staggering Statement,” at some length, and ridiculed the article, stating that that was the sort. of “dope” tho Governmout was foisting on them. Air Griffiths then addressed tho meeting again at some length, stating that they must compel tho authorities to find them work. Ho stated that h» lived for humanity’s sake, and that monoy was of no use to lnm, except to do good.

Mr E. Howard spoke at nomo length, criticising the “ rotten ar.d dying Cabinet,” tho members of which, he said, after fifteen years of patching tho ship of State, were now “getting out” to avoid being swamped. Ho objected to the competitive system, and also to “tho fallacy ” that tho Government railway works could afford relief to the unemployed. In a recent article a local journal had said that unless the workers were prepared to produce more, they could not expect to get more. Tho man who had written that, Mr Hon arcl stated, knew absolutely nothing of cco liomics, and certainly should not bo the editor of a newspaper. The editor of the “Star,” on the other hand, had advocated tho right to work, but had not explained how they wero going to get work. Some 1300 men, to his knowledge, were getting only 30s a week. How much “booze” could they get out of that, and how much of that, could they spend on races? The seriousnc33 of the matter could be judged from tho fact that 200 unemployed were ready to jump into the shoes of tho men who wero being sweated in the employ of the Tram why Board. He said that "he was convinced that the Prime Minister would improve the position at once if lie wero able, but ho was not able because the system was bad. He promised tltoni the support of tho 1300 men of tho General Labourers' Union in anything they might decide to do. Ho advised his hearers to go and irritate tho Mayor and get on his nerves until he should do something for them. He was going -to interview the “Pooh-bahs" on tho Tramway Board, but would help them in the afternoon if they wished. . . . Mr Kilgour also gpoko, complaining against the paid officials of the trades and Labour Council for not having de-lt' with the question in tho first iP-ice Ho advised those present to inn Wo themselves obnoxious to the MaVor and tho Train's and Labour Council’s officials. Mr fcrigour spoke for a long time, despite the efforts oi his friends to stop him. Mr Wyatt Jones than made a further tirade against tho capitalists, and called for u show or hands of these who were out of work. Eighty-eight responded. Tho speaker, after a collection had been taken up in aid of those in immediate need, then called on his hearers to follow him to tho City Council’s Chambers, to impress upon tho Mayor tho necessity for giving them tho right to work. By this time, however, it was after twelve o’clock, and tho crowd had lessened considerably, but u fairly largo number followed the leaders to the City Council Chambers. They tramped up tho B ia : rs to tho Mayor’s room, and lined the passage and the rtaircasc. The 1 cavil Clerk, after lnakinv sundry attempts to get into- communication with the Mayor, succeeded in doing so, and it was arranged that tho nion should moot the _ Mayor at 2.30 p.in., to lay their grievances before him.

DEPUTATION TO THE MAYOR

COMMUNICATION SENT TO THE PRIME MINISTER. The Mayor (Mr J. J. Bengali) received a deputation in the afternoon Mr Wyatt Jones stated that ’in replv t:> an advertisement, he had’received a number ct letters, many 0 f which chewed that thoro was much distress

mkl poverty. The deputation felt that it was not asking for charity, but for tlio right to work, which every man could claim.

The Mayor said that ho regretted to hear that as many as 91 men were out of work. Ho agreed that every man could claim the right to, work, but it was a subject lor tho Government to deal with. The City Council had taken on every man needed, and no further works could be taken in hand without incurring expenditure that had not been authorised. The Council’s attempts to find work had not been altogether satisfactory. Some of tho men written to did' not reply, and others did 110 b attend at places where work was available. He would send a telegram to the Prime Minister, stating that 91 men wero cut of work, that some were in great distress, and would communicate the reply to the men if they attended at his office at hoop, next day.

The deputation thanked the Mayor and withdrew, and tho Mayor immediately sent a telegram to Sir Joseph Ward.