AMONG THE SOCIALISTS OF CHRISTCHURCH.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 72, 26 July 1912, Page 10

AMONG THE SOCIALISTS OF CHRISTCHURCH.

Continuous Agitation— Mrs. Cunnington Lectures —Waihi and Reefton — Passive Resisters—"Unity" Break-

ing-up—Holland's Opening Lecture. The breezy notes from th" pen of '"lb" Yag." have been missing from tlm columns of Tin-; Wokklh tor quite a while, but this docs not mean that nothing has been doing in Chrisiohureh among the Socialists. "The Yag." himself has been more away from us thaji with us of late, since the Fcdcra-

tion Conference, but a man can't be everywhere at once, and although we begrudge his absence we know he carries the Socialist message wherever he goes. The present writer hub therefore taken ujmn himself to send a few comments along. In this City of the Plains — 1 wax going to say "rains," for the weather has been horrible —the Socialist Party has not missed a Sunday but what a meeting has been held, and it would have been an eyeopener to many to have witnessed somo meetings » short while since, held in the now historic Cathedral Square, in ?pite of the teeming rain.- Two openaiv propaganda meetings are held every Sunday, one in the afternoon and Ie other in the evening, followed by m indoor meeting at the Socialist Hall.

Among those lecturing at tho indoor meetings recently wo have had the very valued aid of Mrs. Cuniiington. This lady is a strenuous member of the local Fabian Society, but unlike some of that body, who adopt a stand-off attitude towards us Revolutionaries—l suppose we are not classy enough—Mrs. Cuniiington is not merely willing, but desirous of aiding us in our work. Her lectures arc an intellectual treat, and of a real educational value, giving a scientific backing to the addresses delivered by others less cultured in our ranks. The Wailii and Reefton troubles have received considerable attention in the addresses of speakers upon the Socialist platform. Comrade Howard sjioko lo a tremendous audience in Cathedral Square on Sunday, June 9, and again in the hall after coming back from tho south, so that the miners' case is well understood hero, and the feeling among workers is showing itself in various directions.

The solidarity of the General Laborers is well evinced by their financial assistance, but recently we were further pleased by tho local branch of tho Amalgamated Society of Engineers deciding lo levy themselves in aid of the strike fund, and a voluntary collection is being taken up among the workers of the Addington Workshops.

The local Trades and Labor Council having decided to be a party to the great (. ?) Unity Scheme, tho matter has to be ratified by the various unions affiliated to the Council. The Amalgamated Society of Engineers gave their answer in a most decided manner at their last meeting, for not merely did they decide to aid the minors' strike financially, but they turned down the Unity Scheme by seceding from the Trades and Labor Council. This leaves only two really important, unions affiliated to the Trades Conned—the tramwaymen and the drivers —so that its influence is a decidedly waning one, which is as if should be, seeing that it prefers to stagnate in craft union methods.

The anti-militarist movement is as alh-o as ever here. The P.R.U. lads aro going strong. They iccently sent a deputation to the City Council asking that a machine gun, put on show in one of our open spaces as a trophy of the Boer War, should be removed. This implement of murder, by tho way, was manufactured by a British firm and then sold by British patriots to Boer patriots to shoot British patriots. What a farce this patriotism is. The Christchurch City Council, however, did not see fit to receive tho deputation —it had not complied, forsooth, with the regulations requiring notice to lie given. However, the lads are attending t-o this little technical dct«;;l, and will send another deputation U. tin- next meeting of the City Conned.

We have, had some good addresses in our hall bearing upon militarism, and the New Zealand Dcieix-c A<t, in particular, by promi.'W ci- m< mbers of the National Peace, Couim-'L One of tho addresses, entitled "War and Labor."

showed the influence at work oi Kirkpa trick's "War—What Fe.rr' a look which it is to be hoped will be put out in the cheapest edition pcssihb- and cir-e-ulated by the million.

The 'rowniug address was given last Sunday by Comrade Holland, who is now with us. He In-tared at the King's Theatre to an audience of a; least, 800 people, and analysed both i,be New Zealand and the Australian Defence Acts, shoeing convincingly that their real purpose, is to keep tin? work-ing-people in subjection and to prevent them securing to themselves the full value of their own lalmr. Holland has a good platform presence., and although much of the matter he had to handle was dry phraseology of the- Acts criticised, his audience listened intently rit-.ht ibroui.li. and c;m;f- away bettor informed than they went in. Prior to Comrade Holland taking the plat-form on Sunday night. wo wore Heated to some grand orchestral music. We are proud to number among the Socialists in Christohuioh some of the finest instrumentalists in tlte district, and they aria.ngod together to give some musical selections at the theatre prior to the address, and .w bad a revelation. We hope the same

comrades will come again and agaui and givo us sonic more. —THE OBSERVER.