LABOR DAY.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 42, 22 December 1911, Page 17

LABOR DAY.

Dear Comrade, —Forgive this intru- ' sion on the valuable space of your paper, but it is a desire to express a few thoughts to Socialists of New Zealand tl; at have been weighing on my mind since I arrived in this colony 15 months ago. Shortly before leaving Scotland, I walked in the Labor Day demonstration on May 1, under the old red,flag, with the magic words, "Socialism, the Hope of the World," inecribod' upon it. Jupiter Pluvius was best to damp our euthusiasm. but what mattered it to us if our best clothes got soaked and mud bespattered? "What mattered it to us that the literature vendors were suffering agonies from the fear of their wares getting spoiled by the elements? The fact tluit the red mixed with other coloifrs amongst the literature did not deter us from buying with our coppers what we had already read. And how we gathered round the platforms to hear the message of hope, for which nVany years ago on the same day so muoii ""red co-mingled with other colours'." To us these things had a world significance. "Those memories came to mc with great force yesterday when I waa sojourning in- "the Wonderland." To mc it was a "wonderland" indeed. I was wondering at the presence of some of the people whose opinions and interests I happen to know. I was wondering if the Labor leaders present knew then. can ing of this day's celebration.. And if they knew, why they did not grasn the splendid opportunity aftorded of conveying to the large crowd congregated the message of liberty, trateruitv and equality. It is possible; or course", that such an act would outrage the good opinion of people on whose subscriptions the success of this function largely depends. But what or ltr Are the workers of the Old Country not poorer than their New Zealand comrades? And do they not celebrate this glorious day without a single begged subscription from their enemies? The poinie!-want to emphasise most is : that the Socialists must keep the Red l< lag flying on this day, and that they must strain every nerce that the coming generations shall know that on this day men have siiffered for human solidarity. —-Yours fraternally. H. WEBSTER.