PETER BOWLING.

NZ Truth, Issue 282, 19 November 1910, Page 5

PETER BOWLING.

THE MINER WHO SUFFERED Pays a Tribute to "Truth." Thanks John Norton for What He Has Done.

Peter Bowling, the martyred Newcastle miner, who will shortly foe m New Zealand, and is specially coming across at the invitation of the New Zealand Labor Federation, has, everywhere he has been since his release from • prison at Goulburn (N.S.W.), been received with the greatest enthusiasm. Naturally, New* castle, where Bowling lives, turned out m, great force to receive, him, and from Sydney ."Truth's" account of the meeting we learn tha>t when Bowling nose to speak -he was greet-^ ed with a storm of applause, 'and, when he got going, he said some people got the idea that, when a man came out of gaol looking fairly fit, he had been having

A JOLLY GOOD TIME iin the Government establishment, • When he told them nine months ago that he was going into gaol, they laughed, but he would assure them tfaat- it was no joke. The feeling he had was very much opp-osite to tlhat pi levity, and he certainly believed tbat their laughter was merely on t«he surface, and deep down m their hearts was a burning teeling of resentment against the rascals who put him and Ms comrades m gaol. (Applause.) From all parts of Australia and New Zealand he had received congratulatory telegrams, and he almost found it impossible to thank the people. His especial thanks were directed to those people who ha-d endeavored to lift his wd'fe's spirits during his imprisonmen<t, and how could he express his feelings towards those who saw that she was provided for financially 7 PETER ON THE PRESS. But there were others to whom thalf|s were due. "You all know," continued the speaker, "that the great enemies of the working class are the capitalistic "daily press dt Sydney. You know how they assisted the Wade Government to put my colleagues and me m prison. You know that while we lay there, unable to defend ourselves, and helpless to lift our voices In an attempt to clear our characters before the public, how these cruel, scurrilous rags threw out their innuendoes a-nd contemptible insinuations against us. You all know how they tried to damn our Characters, endeavoring to get their beloved apostle, Charles Gregory Wa-le, into power. If there is such a thing as execration against newspapers, il one single word of mine ha)d the power to damn them, there would not be on© single newspaper m Sydney of the capitalistic class. Sometimes a man m prison gets a chance of seeing a newspaper. Of course that Was against the rules. There I saw leading articles about Bowlingism, and about Bowling being struck down and imprisoned. THEY GLOATED OVER IT. They threw out their cowardly insults, and— why go on ? You know sail about it. By God, it will never be by my pennies that these sheets ' are supported. When will you workers Itiarn that it is your pennies that

keep up these scurrilous papers, and' make them the monetary success i they are ? Look here, if the work- | ing class don't get a paper of their own, and drive these capitalistic concerns out, I myself will use every endeavor to get someone else w-ho would do it. There is a splendid speculation; Now, as against these Sydney daily sheets -there are other papers, which fight them, aod valiantly combat their influence. But, unfortunately, they haven't the power to spread the news; that the dailies have, or explode all the lies that the dailies concoct. Amongst the papers that fight our battles and have THE POWER TO DO SO, stands first and foremost Join Norton's "Truth." (Loud applause.) I see you agree with me. , (Voice : "We do.'*) 1 <to not know John Norton personally. I have spoken to him once, but I Cannot claim tfcat he is a particular friend ■; yet bad he been, and had he been haind m hand with me m our 'battle for liberty, he could not have done more than he did— deI fining the position of the workers, assisting the leaders to get Justice, amid fighting against the lies of tbe capitalistic press. (Applause.) I want to tell you people of Newcastle this. No matter woat may be said • against certain features of "Tratih," no matter what may be questioned m iss columns, if w-e did not have John Norton, or someone very much like him, with a paper as powerful and influential as bis is to assist us to fight the battles of our class, then I say < we would be wanting In a POWERFUL CHAMPION AND ALLY. (Applause.) If these capitalistic concerns get their grip on me, they would hang me for what I nave done for the workers, and what I intend to do. Oih, the individual men themselves of these papers may be as nice as you like, a nd never do a dirty act, but the papers themselves — well, all I can say is that they have neither a body to be kicked nor a soul to be damned. • Therefore, m fighting a combination lite that, if we did not have a . champion ol our own, what would be the consequences •?■ I suppose some of you read the American papers ! America is a place under the domination of trusts, which combine together to cause strikes arid riots. When tfhese occur men are gaoled. That is what the daily papers of Sydney want.. Men are

GAOLED IN AMERICA 1 without any charge being made against them, and may be left there as long as it pleases those who thrust them there. They sometimes are even denied bail for months and months, and then they may be liberated without compensation. Courts tiberes are corrupt, and judges are corrupt. N-ow, it is m opposing these tendencies that John Nortoii and his various papers render suoh a service. He has the courage to speak out/and no amount of wire-pulling will silence him or his papers. Very good. I wish, right here, to thank him for what he has done.

"There is a passionate diesire m Berlin," says the "Daily Qhronicle," "for improved relations with Great Britain." Germany has agreed to lend Turkey seven, millions, which amount will undoubtedly Be spent m an endeavor to hamper England. There appear to be some hypocrites m the old countries besides those we know here.