THE GREY SEAT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15822, 22 July 1913, Page 6

THE GREY SEAT.

SECOND BALLOT CAMPAIGN.

SECTARIAN BITTERNESS,

MR MICHEL ON THE ■ FBDERATIONISTS.

A LIVELY MEETING.

(From Ocb Oww Correspondent.)

GREYMOUTH, July 21. The demon of bigotry holds unchallenged sway in the Grey electorate at the present time. Net onlv has it disputed parties, but it has severed friendships of lifelong standing. It is everywhere discernible. It is talked of in the streets at every corner. It is heard in the shop and in the mine. Never before has religious feeling been raised to such a pitch in this district. Already the public is highly inflamed, and'the speeches now being made in anticipation of the second ballot tend to intensify rather than diminish the Je'plorable outburst. It was at first thought ■ that matters would cool down by Thurs-. day, but the indications point to the reverse being the case. Every hour the bitterness is increasing, and sectarian division is becoming more and more painfully evident. ' . The full report of Mr Michel's meeting at Tavlorville on Saturday shows how high feeling ran. Mr Michel commenced •i)'y saying that he was going to speak .must plainly and hold, as it were, a postmortem examination on the Federation of Labour, to which organisation Mr P. C. Webb was attached. He denounced the platform of the Federation, and-said that it was governed by a section that was opposed to all law and order. Mr Webb had stated that the election next Thursday would be an object lefson to New . Zealand, and he (the speaker) agreed with ;him. Were the electors of Grey going to support a Government that would give them progressive and humanitarian legislation, or were they going to send to Wellington a gentleman who would represent the extremists in the executive of the Federation of Labour'/ Were they going to be tyrannised by the .latter or 'be ruled by a Government that ".would rule by the people and for the people? A deliberate attempt was being friade to stir up sectarian strife. He (Mt Michel) had heard nothing of this sectarian question until after the election, and he did not believe there was anything in it. What did Professor Mills, of Milwaukee fame, know about it? He came to New Zealand as the paid hireling of the United Labour party, and had condemned in no measured terms the tactics of the Federation of Labour. ProfessoT Mills talked about changing one's coat, .and yet after condemning' the Federation of Labour he had now turned his coat and was backing it up. When the Professor from Milwaukee found that the members of the Federation had raised £37,000 to keep the strike going out of ■ their wages he came to the conclusion that the federation was the place for him, and so he wriggled over to the Federation of Labour. What did Mr D. M'Laren, the most able Labour advocate in New Zealand, tell them of the Federation of Labour and- the great Unity Congress? .He declared that the reports supplied m the press were untrue reports, that they were faked Teports, and gave no idea o; the Teal doings• at the congress— (Loud dissent.) An attempt was now being made to identify the Social-Democratic party with the old Liberal party. There had been' quite a change in the policy of Messrs Webb and Mills. There was nothing at Friday's meeting about the Defence Act. The so-called Democrats, added Mr Michel, were wolves in sheep's clothing. The Federation of Labour was .nothing but a huge trust, octopus, or combine. It was not, however, a trust that would trust the people. He had proofs of this. It browbeat and tyrannised over the greater part of the workers. It objected to the secret ballot,. It's method of voting was this: "Workers to the ri"ht, scabs to the left." A Voice: " It's a lie.-(Uproar.) •Mr MicheL: You know nothing about

A Voice : We are satisfied. Leave the federation alone and give us your policy. Continuing, Mr Michel siid that there was a section of the Federation of Übour which tyrannised over the workers. They objected to a secret ballot in the case of

a strike. _ ' A Voice: It's a lie; they dont. Continuing, Mr Michel said that he would oppose any Government that wni.d not protect the minority. The whole motto of the federation was strike, strike, strike. What happened when a strike did take place? Those who engineered the strike were oft to Sydney or America, and ieft the workers to bear the brunt. There was a strike at Blackball engineered by ' \ Voice : Judge Sim.-(Laughter.) Mr Michel: No; by Mr. Fitzgerald. Mr Michel then referred to the Reefton trouble, contending that the Government had tried to settle it. Pandemonium soon reigned, and it was some time before the chairman restored order. , Continuing, Mr Michel said that the executive of the Federation ot Labour was out to abolish the wage system.' That was the sentiment of their leaders and their official organ, the Maoriland Worker. Let them think what that meant to this dis trict. They were going to abolish capital. How could the Grey district advance with its great undeveloped resources of gold, timber, and coal if they had no capital? Yet it was suggested that they elect a man to renresent' them that opposed the wage svstem, that was opposed to capital, and opposed to everything except the red federationists. Did they think that such a man would do the'district good?

A voice: Yes.

Mr Michel: You know better. You people who are making all the noise would be the first to make for Australia when trouble came. Do you think you would get your resources developed if you put Mr Webb in? Do you think you would develop your Wallscndmine? ■ A voice: Will Mr Michel?

'Mr Michel: Yes, I will try; and I have I already done more for the district than Mr 'Webb if he were for 20 years your member. With Mr Bundle and others I placed, the Lake Hochstettcr alluvial claims'on the London, market, but I was blocked by. the Waihi strike. Those at Home were afraid to risk their money in New Zealand on account of the Labour troubles. We, however, raised money in Svdney, but it was only because we could give the Sydney people the assurance that New Zealand was now free from labour difficulties, so far as alluvial mining was concerned. We have thus raised £250,000 to develop the mine resources of the Grey Valley. Could Mr Webb do that?—(Applause.) I would, if elected, have little difficulty in getting assistance to reopen the Wallsend mine. If I could not get the Government to reopen the mine I would try to get the necessary capital with Government assistance. That is what you want, and if I am I will try to get the mine reopened. You will not get it done if you appoint a man who is opposed to capital, who is opposed to the Government, who is opposed to defence, and who is opposed to Christianity. —(Uproar and dissent]. If you want to wreck your future, support the extreme Labour "party, which want to capture your industries and even your police.

A voice': It would not take much to capture them.—(Laughter.) Mr Michfl": God help our land if that ever comes about.—(Applause.) If Mr Rosser, who held the red flag of revolution at the time of the tramway strike, ever gets control of our police, God help our country. A voice: What rot!

. Mr Michel: You know it is not rot.— (Loud dissent.) After outlining the Government's policy Mr Michel stated that if the Federation of Labour ever got on tip there would be mob law, and the police would be used to protect the lawless us against the peace-loving citizens. .U had been said that the Government had put 70 of the Wailii strikers in gaol. They were not put in gaol. They walked into gaol, and walked out again when it suited them. A voice: Did they really? "They refused to'sign* a bond," said Jlr Michel, "to'obey the laws of the country. Did you ever hear of such a thing before?" Mr Michel said that he had received a letter from 500 unionists at Waihi wishing him every success. The writer said that the people of Grey had no idea of the tyranny the people of Wails*. &ftd B«*ped

from. The town, was now peaceful and prosperous, where formerly an anarchy ruled and women were insulted. A voice: What-rot! Those were the conditions that obtained when the party of whioh Mr Webb was a member had control. The party stood to represent anarchy and mob law. Continuing, Mr Michel said that Mr Mills, or Professor Mills

A voice: He is a better man than you!

Mr Michel: That is only your opinion and you have only one vote in 700. Continuing, Mr Michel said that Mr Mills got £12 a* week, so he had been told. What did Professor Mills know about the position o£ New Zealand? The issue was between the federation and the Government. The question with the Liberals had been settled. ■ Mr Michel then proceeded to refer to the Unity Congress, and said that Messrs M'Laren and Fowlds had left it.— (Cries of "Traitors.") Mr Michel said that it was the characteristic of all revolutionaries that the leaders who had borne a most prominent part to-day were howled down as traitors to-morrow. Mr M'Laren .was one of the most loyal supporters of legtimate labour in New Zealand. Take their official organ, the Maoriland Worker. In its pages it had ridiculed every branch of the Christian Church.—(Cries of dissent.) It bad ridiculed the Holy Sacraments of the Church. A lady here rose and said, "It's a lie." You ought to be ashamed of yourself to say such a thing; you know it's not true. —(Uproar and hooting.) Mr Michel said that the officials of the federation 1 were opposed to the Church, to the Government, to capital, and to law and order.—(Dissent.) It was an octopus crushing the liberty of the people.—(Loud uproar and dissent.) The people of New Zealand would see that law and order were preserved. The. fact that the Federation of Labour's representative had polled 500 less than at the previous election did not say much for the vaunted solidarity of Laiwur on the West Coast. He was satisfied that the electors would realise the great issues at Gtake. • They would not support a party that stood for disloyalty—(uproar)—and would destroy everything sacred and good.—(Continued uproar.) Under no other flag but the free British flag would such utterances as those of federationists be tolerated, and they would not raise a. hand to fight in defence of that flag.—(Dissent.)

A voice: You will be glad to get on a soap box yet. A lady elector: Why do you ridicule Mr Web'b and say that he does not believe in ■ Christianity?

Mr Michel: I have always found Mr Webb a perfect gentleman. I mean that the party ho identifies himseli with is opposed to Christianity. The lady elector: Why do you say Mr Webb is 1 opposed to military training ? He is not opposed to military training, and believes in a citizen army. All that he objects to is taking boys before they are of age. Mr Michel: lam glad to hear that Mr Webb is not opposed to military training, but he stands for a party that is opposed to it

The lady elector: Between 14 and 18 is a bad age to take boys away from their parents. What would you think if girls were taken away at that age? Mr Michel: What age do you think they should commence training?

Tho lady elector: Twenty-one. Before that ace a parent is responsible for his son's debts, and the parent is the best judge of what his son should do till he is of age. Mr Michel: Twenty-one years is too old to commence training. Surely it is not asking too much to ask a boy to tra'in for the defence of his country? The lady elector: 'Did Mr Seddon have to force men to volunteer for South Africa at the time of the Boer war? There was no compulsion then. Men would go'as freely to-day as they would, then, but they do not want compulsion.— (Loud applause.) Mr Michel: I quite believe they would. A vote of thanks was then carried. When seen by a Star reporter this morning in reference to Mr Michel's statement at Taylorville on -Saturday night that ; le did not know how Mr Hannan himself intended voting, Mr Hannan stated that the statement was untrue, since he told Mr Michel at noon on Saturday in the presence of Messrs H. J. Bignell, H. W. Kitchingham, G. T. Moss; and H. C. Harley that he not only intended votincr for Mr Webb, but that ne would do all he could _ to secure the defeat of Mr Michel. In view of such a definite expression of opinion he could not conceive how Mr Michel made such a statement. On being questioned as to his reason, Mr Hannan told the reporter that, apart from the fact that he (Mr Hannan) had 6tated at his various meetings that the Grev electorate should not support the candidature of any absent nominee of the Reform Government, he informed Mr Michel that he was to disgusted by the discreditable tactics and cruel slanders circulated and invented by Reform supporters that he intended w vote and work for Mr Webb, whose party

had fought cleanly and without recourse to such dastardly acts. Mr Hannan hoped that his supporters, quite apart from the desirability of supporting a man in opposition to the Reform Government, would vote for Mr Webb to show their resentment ~of the unfair tactics adopted—those not only relating to his personal character, but dragging in his religion as well.

A DISORDERLY MEETING,

(Pee United Phess Association.)

GREYMOUTH, July 31.

Mr Michel and Mr D. Jones (Reform organiser) addressed a meeting at the Town Hall to-night. The building was crowded to overflowing. Both speakers made strong denunciation of the Federation of Labour, and met with considerable interruption from members of that body, who were present in, force. The meeting was several times stopped, and the police ejected several of the most prominent interrupters. The meeting ended with 1 three cheers for Mr Webb and counter cheers for Mr Michel. The meeting wa6 the longest and most disorderly that has been held in Greymouth for some time past.