ADDRESS BY MR PAYNE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8263, 28 October 1912, Page 1

ADDRESS BY MR PAYNE

“ The Bridge Across the Gulf” was tho title of a lecture delivered by Mr j. i'ayne, M.P., under the auspices of the Federation of Labor to a good audience in the Empress Theatre last evening. The lecturer dealt mainly with the aims and objects of Socialism and its relation to present-day evils. Dealing with the Waihi strike and the miners who had gone to gaol, Mr Payne said it had fallen to the lot of a capitalistic Government to place a blot on tho history of the Empire. He deprecated the imprisonment of men in connection with tho Labor movementmen who had done no harm except use their tongues and their influence to prevent the breaking down of industrial unionism in this country. They had been told by the papers that the strike at Waihi was fizzling out. But they knew what the position was. They knew that the miners had the mineowners in the hollow-of their band. The great plant could not be worked by a few hundred men, and thoso who were working would come to see that it was in their interest to join with the others in helping forward the labor movement. The men of Waihi had been imprisoned for working for the uplifting and stability of unionism in this country. The political machine of which he was a part was the biggest farce he had ever taken part in. There were eight workers and the rest were dummies. He ridiculed the idea that the workers could obtain justice through political action. Until they got a better weapon the strike was their only means of asserting their rights. They had come to a big crisis in the affairs of the industrial classes of this country. The employers wore leaving no stone unturned to combat the progress of industrial unionism. At the conclusion of the address questions were answered by the lecturer. A musical programme was given during the evening.