IN THE CITY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10924, 13 November 1913, Page 7

IN THE CITY.

PUBLIC MEETING HELD. ' SPEAKERS INDIGNANT AT LABOUR 'LEADERS' ARREST. MOTION CARRIED OPPOSING SPECIAL POLICE IN CITY. A public meeting was held at Victoria Square last night, Mr F. Lurch presiding over an attendance which must have numbered more than one thousand persons. The chairman said the authorities were making preparations to force the position in Port. The Harbour Board was going to erect barricades and, iy was understood, was swearing in special constables. On Saturday night next there would bo a. procession from the railway station to ■ V ictoria Square, where a meeting would be held, and on Sunday afternoon there would be a meeting in Sydenham Park. THE GOVERNMENT'S LAST CAiiD. Mr D. G. Sullivan said that tho Massey Government, in gaoling tho strike leaders, had played its last card, and its last card was just as silly and futile as its' first. At present there was a serious and critical situation in the country calling for tact, brains and intellectual power. The Government had given, not brains, but batons. Tho members of the Government had been brain-addled from tho commencement. Their first act was to call in tho rifles of the Territorials, their second to pour an armed rabble into the streets of Wellington and Auckland., and their

third to gaol the leaders on charges of sedition, in tho hope that by eliminating the stride leauers they would break the striko. But for every leader gaoled there were a dozen capable of taking his piaoe. In tho place of Mr Young, Mr John Dowgray had already been appointed acting-president. Mr Dowgray was lcvol-hcacied and keenwitted, so that if tho Government had thought that Mr Yoivug would bo replaced by n less capable man they had made a blunder, 'ihe leaders were arrested for inciting to violence. But according to that principlo tho editor of nearly every Conservative newspaper in tho country ought to bo put in gaol. Tho writers in the Conservative papers had _ lost their heads, .li it was right that the strike leaders should be arrested the editors of these papers also should be put in gaol. Tho speaker quoted from tlio local lleform newspaper to give examples of the inflammatory language used, which,' ho said, was a challongo to the workers at Auckland, Wellington and Lyttelton k) show their strength against the Government, its freo labour and its special police. AN APPEAL TO THE BUSINESS MEN. The present meeting had been called, said Mr Sullivan, to enable a case to bo made out for an appeal to the business men of tho city. There were business men from whom it would bo impossible to obtain a fair hearing, but there were also nobler-hearted business men, who realised that the Labour movement was a religious one, and in the interests of morality and justice. Thero were others who sympathised but could not let it bo known, on account of tho boycott that would be brought against them by organised Capital. The Government was leagued with the monopolists to try to smash tho labour organisations of the dominion. If the Government took over the ferry service it would bo tho best thing for tho farmers and the community generally. In assisting the Government the farmers were going the best way to prolong the strike. It they had not come to the wharves at all tho strike would have been over long ago, for the workers' terms, which they proposed, were quite reasonable. Tho refusal of the employers to accopt theGO terms showed that they wanted to take advantage of the presence en the Massey Government to inflict a crushing defeat on organised labour. The employers were acting unconstitutionally in trying to make the workers register under tho Arbitration Act, sinco tho law gave the worker the alternative of registering under the Trades Unions Act. If there were a Government in power worth its salt it would have pointed out to the shipowners that this insistence on the Arbitration Act was illegal and unconstitutional. THE LATE MR T. E. TAYLOR. The speaker said he could not help recalling the late Mr T. E. Taylor. Ho would not have played the coward's part, but would have defied Mr Massey as he had defied him. at the Choral Hall. The powers of Capital would not have deterred him from voicing his indignation, and forcing the Government to take up a reasonable attitude at this crisis. The speaker had received a message for the workers from Sirs Taylor that day, expressing her sympathy with them, and expressing a hope that they would not give in but would be enabled to resist a crushing and humiliating defeat. There were Liberals in the House who professed to hold Mr Taylor's views, but who sat there like dumb .dogs. With these Liberals and these' Conservatives the workers would have 'to rely on their own solidarity and fight Liberals and Tories combined. PEACEABLE MEANS URGED.

Mr E. Howard said that it was necessary to fight the fight in Chriatchureh without any violence. They could put all the leaders in gaol, but others would come forward. If they imprisoned all the men women would come forward. The fight could be won with the assistance of the people, and the speaker asked all to respond as generously as tlieir means would allow. No one wanted to see violence, and tlie people could help the struggle to be won. by peaceable means. FEDERATION THE ONLY WAY FOR A SQUARE DEAL. The Rev J. L. Mortimer said that after speaking to the men at Lyttelton, someone had asked him how, after that ho could face his congregation and teach them morals. But if he had not done so he could not tell his people to do things for the love of Christ. Ho stood there because, as a Christian, he believed in justice, as a British man in liberty, and as a sportsman in fair play. If he had not already been sympathetic with the Labour Movement, the last fortnight would have converted him. Tho people amongst whom he moved read the papers and got rigid ideas on these subjects, and received tho impression that it was all the worker's fault. The worker was continually blackguarded, but little was heard of the real facts The men struck because the employers, not the men, broke an agreement. The speaker traced tho history of tho strike briefly. The employers had broken the agreement with the sole reason to , cause a rupture. It was not a strikeit wan a lock-out, for when the men wished to go back their proposals were repudiated. It was open to any worker to register under one of the two Acts. Why should the Union Company insist 011 their working under only one of these Acts? It was a deliberate infringement of the liberty given to the people by law. Yet it was said that the Government was helpless and could do nothing because the'men- would not come in under tho Arbitration Act. But why should they? Federation was not a thing confined to wage-owners. There was an Employers' Federation as well as the Federation of Labour. If every kind of commerce could federate it was right that the employee also should he allowed to federate. Federation was the only way for the worker to get a fair deal. The worst feature of tho whole affair was tho importation of the irregular troops to Wellington. Jf the employers thought by those means, to stop the strike they were foolish. If not, of course they were criminal. It was an absolute miracle that lifo had not been lost in the last weeks in Wellington. This miracle was due to tho self-control, discipline and patience of the strikers, and not to any strength in the Government. The speaker prayed to God to defend the right, winch was 011 the side of the workers. THE " FOREIGNERS."

Mr J. Thorn said that Mr Massey had said that the strike leaders were foreigners. It had been stated that none of the leaders arrested were born in New Zealand. Mr Semplo was from New South Wales, Mr Bailey was from Guernsey, Mr Holland was from New South Wales, and Mr Fraser was from Scotland. But, at that reckoning, most of the present Cabinet were '•foreigners." Mr Massoy was born in the North of Ireland, Mr Allen was Lorn in South Australia, Mr Herries was born in London and Mr Fraser in India. But Mr Massey would be dismissed at the next election, because ho was incapable. Mr Massoy .and his farmer supporters were responsible for flooding the country with the people they were now vilifying For ten j-ears the Labour party had opposed assisted emigration, and the Massey party had been advocating it. The speaker dealt with the history of trade unionism and tho struggle for the rights of the working classes.

In the course of concluding the remarks, the chairman stated that it was rumoured that a firm in Chris tchurch had manuiactnred two thousand clubs.

The following motion was carried unanimously by a show of hands:—

lt This meeting- of Chri.stclmrch citizens cppo.:c:s ab."ol<;tel.v the introduction of special police into Christehurch on the f.jrouml that there is no nocessity for them, seeing that the strikers at Lyttellon have behaved in a most orderly fashion." Cheers were given for the Federation and the invonsoned leaders.

TRAMWAY EMPLOYEES' UNION. WILL NOT JOIN FEDERATION OF LABOUR. A ballot was taken recently by the members of tho Christohurch Tramway Employees' Union 011 a proposal to join tiio Social Democratic Party and "the Federation of Labour. _Tho proposal was lost. Tin Union will remain under tho Arbitration Act.