HOT AIR.

Northern Advocate, 14 December 1916, Page 1

HOT AIR.

FROM "BOB" SEMPLE,

WHAT CAUSED HIS ARREST,

HIS MESSAGE FROM AUSTRALIA

• A telegarphie message i'roni Chrstehureh gives an interesting account of the case brought against Robert Semple for alleged sedition. Coupled with the charges is a report of Seinple's utterances at Auckland on December .'). lie was, it will be remembered, charged with a- seditious intention, contrary to the form of the statute in such case made and provided, and contrary to clause ■'! of the regulations made on September 2(1, l<ll3, under the War Regulations Act, 1914, by the utterance of the words following:— CONSCRIPTION AND LIBERTY". " 1 have a message of fraternal greeting from the Australian people. It is the Australian people's message that the people of this country shall not, under any circumstances, permit this country to be lassooed by that Prussian octopus, conscription. Despite all the strongest opposition, slander, and vilification and journalistic perjury of the hypocritical tongue of that polished wowseristic gang, the democracy stood on their feet and wiped from the sunUissed hills of Australia every vestige of I'russianism. "In years to come generations of the future will look back with glowing hearts aud benevolent souls upon the men and women who broke the chains of despotism that were about to be put around their bodies. It is only a repetition of the past, anyhow. In every war it was the opportune time for the reactionist and commercial vulture to do his dirty work in the name of patriotism. They are doing that now What other guarantee could the politicians of the world give to the ShyJoeks who are lending money to conduct tin's dreadful tragedy? No other guarantee! Only a servile, slavish people. "Conscription aud liberty ran not live in the one country. Conscription '? the negation of human 'ibertv; j- is beginnig of tho servile statj; it \s the one forged chain that can be applied to the legs and minds of men and women. Conscription was not intended in this country to fight the Kaiser, but to fight trades unionism and the working classes. They are more afraid of the trades unionists, the capitalists are, than the Kaiser! Why? The Kaiser belonged to the same school that they belonged to. The Kaiser stands for despotism, robbery, plunder, oligarchy. T-he workers stand for liberty. They fear the rising of the working class population a sight more than the Kaiser, because the Kaiser belongs to the same school as the rest of" the robbers in the rest of the world. HIS AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE. "The psychological effect of my experience in Australia has kindled a flame of rebellion in my soul, and, regardless of consequences, I intend to fight, by God! that infamous rotten law that has been passed upon the heads of the people in New Zealand. The men who fought the campaign in Australia feared nothing. We have, too, the same kind of soul 1 believe—similar blood Ho winy in the veins of men and women, such as flowed in the veins of martyrs in days gone by. It has got to do things and say things, aud the time has arrived in New Zealand to do it now. We're not going to allow Australia to say we haven't 'got a kick.' They have said to me, 'Semple, whatever you do. we will be with yon. morally, financially, in spirit, as in every other way. We are going to make it damned hot for this Government. '

'' How long are the working classes of New Zealand going to be the apathetic tools of the employing classes that they are to-day? Something has got to be done in this country to resurrect the fighting energy of the working classes. Miners iv this country are ready to pay their share of the battle, no matter what it might be. I have a wire iv my pocket which I got last night to the effect that every coal miner, if he is drawn in the ballot, has received instructions not to present himself. He is exempted by instruction of the Government. They will say, 'Take your bribe, back again.' They will say, 'You are not going to bribe us and conscript our labour; you are not going to play us against the other fellow. To hell with your bribery!' MUST TAKE RISKS. We are going to see, before many weeks, how much there is in them. Make no mistake about that I know that everyone talking against this infamous law is knocking at the gaol door, but we must take these risks. I refuse to have my tongue bound within my cheeks. I have the freedom of my children and the dignity of my -wife to fight for. lam going to do it, reg«".rdless of what 1 may personally suffer in the process. The gong has got to be sounded. The forces of manhood have got to be mobilised, and things have got to be done in order that the sun of liberty may shine upon the people of this country. This political system has it roots in hell. The wowser churches are infamous ileus, administering chloroform and 'dope.' " the prp;liminary hearing Mr Raymond, K.C., who appeared for the Crown, asked for a further remand until Friday. Mr A. Cassidy, counsel for the accused asked if the eaee would be heard at Christchurch, Wellington, or Auckland. This -was rather an important point for his client. Mr Raymond said the authorities considered that the accused was an itinerant, travelling from one place, to another, and that it was just as convenient to try him in one place as another. Mr Cassidy said it would make it the more difficult for his client to get his witnesses together and prepare his defence. BAIL REFUSED. Counsel for accused submitted that he should have bail as of right, and he asked his Worship to make the bail as reasonable as possible. His client would not leave the country, and could not get away. His Worship said it was not so much the matter of the accused leaving the country as the harm he could do in it. The question of bail was connected with the question of the accused continuing his conduct when on bail. There was no doubt that a man of accused's character was a dangerous person, and could' do an important amount of harm and mischief. If he was entitled to bail as of right, he would get it, but if the discretionary l»owers were granted to the Bench, as he believed they were, he would not undertake the responsibility of granting bail to the accused. The question was one of the good of the country at a serious time, and this was of more importance than an inconvenience to any individual person. The application for bail was refused.