THE REDS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12856, 28 October 1912, Page 3

THE REDS.

At a piiblic meeting held in Wellington last night under the auspices and in tho interests of the Federation of Labour, a Mr. P. C. Webb was moved to admit that the ultimate end of the Federation—.tho thing for which they would fight constantly—was the completo destruction of capital. It is a good thing that the public should know what theso wild fools are after. Tho strike at Waibi is not a reasonable protest against specific conditions to which workers can properly object: it is a consoiracy or disorder arranged by men only eager to overthrow the established system and order of the world. That is why Waihi strikers convicted of disorder nre encouraged by their labour bosses to defy the law. That is why we havo agitators of the cheap and noisy Semple typ? stumping the country and Irving to stir un disaffection and unrest. That is why there is no decent hope of settlement between the men and their employers. Semple and bis like do not wish to sco an end of the strike. They want things. to go from bad to worse. They cannot bring about a general strike, because the bnlk of the workers are openly out of sympathy with them, but they are set on causing as much mischief and misery as possible. I heard the man Semple talk the other day. Ho is a noisy and shallow huckater, without a single decent quality that I could discover to commend him withal. Much can be forgiven' to any sincerely mistaken man, but lii Sem-ple's stylo and manner there is no evidence ot sincerity. All that one can discover from his speeches is that he is insolent and loud.

However that be, if the strike does not soon cease by reasonable arrangement, it must cease from lack of malcontents. These men, protagonists ot a lost and foolish cause, aro reduced ,totho last poor expedient of going to gaol to prove—l know not what, except their own stupidity. There have been other batches in tiio last few days, and most, of tho men accused have acted in court m a manner calculated to alienate ail sympathy. Men who set the law at defiance, in tho face of repeated warnings, do not deserve the tolerance of honest citizens. The Waihi affair is altogether deplorable, but the conduct of these ovstinato and misguided fools who are going to gaol is the most deplorable tiling connected with it.