THE BIG STRIKE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10299, 2 November 1911, Page 1

THE BIG STRIKE.

ADDRESS BY ENGLISH SOCIALIST. A lecture upon the lessons to be derived from tho recent strike in England was delivered in tha Socialist Hall last evening by Air 13. A. Hartley, an English Socialist, Avho is at present on a lecturing tour of NeAv Zealand. Mr U. Shrubshell, avlio Avas in tho chair, introduced the lecturer and spoko a few words relative to his mission in Ncav Zealand. Mr Hartley said that to understand tho recent upheaval it avas necessary to go back some years, it should be reILU'O trudc-s

unionism was illegal and that wheu tho idea of sending men to Parliament and to public bodies began to take root in men s minds there was no idea of sending them simply as workers' representatives. Working men had be.en so accustomed to divide themselves into Liberals and Conservatives that for a good while the thought of a party of workers independent) of either of the old traditional parties was not entertained. It was only after the Socialist, propaganda began to take effect that tho ulea of representatives of the workers as a class took shapo. Tho wliolo of tho recent upheaval was reallv diie t-o the fact, that tho Socialist idea of a class Rtrupjile, when all tho workers as a. class must bo united against tho capitalist class., had taker* root; and the lesson was that industrially and politically they must always bo united. At the conclusion uf hi." address the speaker was thanked by tho chairman on Udialf of those preset', t. Tin*

man also read two telegrams, one Wellington, stating that the watersidt. workers of that city had joined thflr' Federation of Labour, and thus praotically buried 'Professor W. T, Mills 1 ® unity scheme; and another from Mr fit. Semple, of Auckland, organiser of tho Federation of Labour, stating thatf tho Auckland strikers had gained *i complete victory.