The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1897. MR. BEN TILLETT AT THE CITY HALL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 12, 23 July 1897, Page 17

The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1897. MR. BEN TILLETT AT THE CITY HALL.

O RADES Unionism versus Industrial Anarchy " was the subject of a very interesting lecture delivered by Mr. Ben Tillett on Wednesday of last week. On such a subject there are few men who could speak with greater authority than Mr. Tillett. He has himself risen from the ranks of labour and has shared the hardships of perhaps the worst paid and most hardly treated class of English labourers. He was sent to work at the age of seven, and worked in a brickyard for the modest sum of one and ninepence a week. His employer wanted him to work for one and sixpence, but with characteristic courage young Tillett struck for the odd threepence and got it. At the age of twelve he took to the sea, and, after some experience on board a fishing-smack and afterwards in the Royal Navy, he iinally settled at the Docks where he gradually formed the Dockers 1 Union which

has now some 23,000 members. He became general secretary of the Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Labourers' Union, and was one of the leaders of the great Dock Strike in the course of which he showed great power of organisation. It is scarcely a year, moreover, since Mr. Tillett suffered a short but painful imprisonment in the cause of labour. In August of last year he was solicited by the Antwerp dockers to give them advice as to the best mode of obtaining better conditions for their work in the Antwerp dockß. Having crossed over to Antwerp he waa met on his arrival by a number of the Antwerp police, who warned him that he would not be allowed to address any public meeting in Antwerp, or to promote a public agitation there. Mr. Tillett promised not to address a public meeting but he twice met the leading dockers in a private room and gave them the benefit of his advice and English experience. For this he was arrested and locked up in a filthy cell, and was kept there in physical conditions so disgusting as to make him very unwell for several days. Having done and suffered so much in the cause of labour Mr. Tillett has certainly every claim to be listened to with attention and respect. He has, besides, qualities of his own as a public speaker which will enable him to win the ear of working-class audiences wherever he may go. His features are interesting and thoughtful, his bearing is resolute but at the same time open and courteous, and his whole expression is suggestive of thorough-going earnestness and sincerity. He possesses a fairly powerful and resonant voice and has a remarkable command ot clear, terse and vigorous English. It is a pleasure to hear him speak, and whether one agrees with him or not, one cannot but feel that he is deeply possessed with a sense of the wretchedness of multitudes of men and women of his own rank in life, and is filled with an honest and heartfelt desire to alleviate, and if possible remove, their hardships. So far as Mr. Tillett's remarks on Trade Unionism are concerned we do not see how any true friend of the workingclasses can do other than endorse his sentiments and heartily support his advocacy of closer and firmer organisation amongst the labourers of New Zealand. It is perfectly true that the labouring classes here are very much better off than their comrades in the Old Country. It is true that we have a legislation which, as Mr. Tillett says, is second to none in the world. But it is also true that perfect justice and freedom for the working classes are by no means universally secured, and serious evils still exist. It is a fact, for example, that there are employers in Dunedin who are found willing to employ girls, under the guise of " apprentices," for half-a-crown, and in some cases for nothing, a week. It is a fact that in very many cases union wages are only nominally paid, a substantial refund being privately made by the employe, who is afraid to openly declare that he or she does not receive the full union wage. It is a fact that amongst some classes of labourers, and notably amongst the miners on the West Coast, there has been so much terrorism on the part of the employers that the men are positively afraid to form a union. This is a state of things which certainly ought not to be, and the evils we have mentioned will gradually become more intensified unless the men make a firm stand and band themselves together everywhere in close and compact organisation. We wish Mr. Tillett all success in his efforts in this direction, and we hope the men everywhere will loyally respond to his appeals.

Having said so much we feel bound to add a word or two in the shape of criticism of Mr. Tillett's address. In the first place we would point out, what his own experience will, no doubt, soon show him, that language which may be perfectly true regarding the old country, is often by no means applicable to the state of things in this Colony. We ffive one example. Though at the beginning of his lecture Mr. Tillett expressed the opinion that we had a "labour legislation second to none in the world," yet towards the close of his address he told his hearers that the capitalists " have collared the municipal institutions of this country, they have collared the I'arliament, they have collared the pulpit, they have collared the Press, and last but not least, they have collared you." If the capitalists had really " collared " the Parliament we would hardly have had a " labour legislation second to none in the world, 1 ' and we should say that the statement as applied to New Zealand, contains only a very small element of tiuth. In the second place, we are sure Mr. Tillett's usefulness as a labour leader in New Zealand would be greatly increased if he could manage to steer clear of the very violent language into which he is

occasionally betrayed. We refer to such statements as that a certain class of capitalists in England were " a pack of murderers," than whom " Butler, the Glenbrook murderer, was a better and braver man ; " and to such expressions as "darned skunks and hypocrites," which was applied by Mr. Tillett to certain fashionable ladies who talk very virtuously about the morality of work-girls. We know that it_ is scarcely po&sible to study the labour question closely without coming to feel strongly about it, and when one fuels strongly it is difficult to refrain from speaking strongly. We are bound also to admit that in the particular connection in which Mr. Tillett used such language there was good ground for speaking with some feeling. All the same the use of such violent language is certainly to be deprecated. In the first place, intends to create, in the minds of the workers, a settled feeling of hostility towards their employers, and that is altogether" undesirable. In the second place, it will alienate the sympathies of those employers who are at present friendly to the Labour Party and to labour reform and will furnish them with an excuse for regarding Mr. Tillett as . a mere firebrand agitator, instead of as a recognised leader of a large body of men. A movement is on foot, we understand, to secure the services of Mr. Tillett as a permanent labour organiser for New Zealand. We hope the movement will be carried to a successful issue. There is plenty of hard, solid work to be done in that direction, and, if he will only avoid orato/y of the " darned skunk " order, we believe Mr. Tillett is the man to do it.

We publish in another column the winning numbers in the Port Chalmers grand art-union which was drawn on Friday last. The art-union has proved remarkably successful, the gross receipts amounting to .030, leaving a net balance of about £290. Considering- that there was no bazaar this result is highly satisfactory and we heartily congratulate Father McMullan on the great success of the undertaking.

The half-yearly meeting of the Dunodin branch of the Hib?r nian Society was largely attended. The balance-sheet for the. quarter was read and adopted, showing an increase in the various funds. The auditors' report complimented the secretary and congratulated the branch on the substantial increase in the funds during the quarter. The following officers tor the ensuing term were elected and installed, Bro. W. Mulrooney, P P., acting as installing officer: — President, Bro. T. Hoare ; vice-pre-Ment. Bro. J. Ford ; secretary, Bro. J. O'Connor (re-elected) ; tre i«»ur.>r. Bro. D. O'Mahoney (re-elected); warden, Bro. J. Marlow (re-elected), guardian, Bro. J. Bourke : hick visitors, Bros. Marlow and Murphy (re-elected) ; auditors, Bros. W. Carr and J. Hally (re- looted). A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the retiring ollicer- for th»ir services, to which they suitably replied. Tno newly-installed officers also returned thanks for the confidence placed in them.

During the past week the following subscriptions to the South Dunedin Catholic Orphanage Fund have been received .-—Hibernian Society, £2 2s; Mr. ];. Connors, C 2 , Mr. Cotter. 01 U: Mr. J Collins, £1 Is; Sergeant O'Neill, XI; Mr. Black, 10,. Con. tributions towards the erection of the Orphanage will be thankfully received by the Sisters of Mercy, of South Dunedin. an 1 by the Catholic clergy of Dunedi ', and will be duly acknowledged in the columns of the Taulet.

I XX niEr (writes our Wellington correspondent) to record the death of Mr. Richard Maher, which took place on the hth instant at the residence of his brother-in-law, Mr. Michael Bohan, Cuba .street, Wellington, with whom the deceased resided for many years. Mr. Maher, who was about <>0 years of age, was born near Templemore. County Tipper iry. and came out to Victori i over .50 year-, ago. anil after remaining in that colony for some time, h>\ in company with a number of friends, left for the West Coast digging-, in tins colon} where he soon made many friend-. Deceased has two brothers in Ireland as well as a number of relatives, two brothers in San Francisco, and another sister besides Mrs Bohan in New Zetland. During the course of a long and tedious lllne-v, the decease 1 was regularly attended by the priests of Te Aro parish, and received the hist sacraments immediately before his death from the llev. Father O'Shea. The interment took place at the Catholic cemetery on Sunday, 11th inst . the funeral rortn/i being very large, the numbers present bearing striking testimony tv the esteem in which the deceased was held. The i-orvices at the church and graveside were performed by the Rev. Father O'hhea.— H.l. /'.

A MOST interesting welding, writes a coi respondent, took place at Oamaru on Wednesday the 7th inst, when Mr. Edward McEwen of Dunodin was joined in the holy bunds of matrimony with Miss

Ellen O'Brien, third daughter of the late Mr. Morgan O'Brien of Oamaru. The ceremony which took place at noon in St. Patrick's Basilica was performed by the Rev. Father Howard. The bride, who was given away by her eldest brother, Mr. M. O'Brien, looked charming in a beautiful dress of white cashmere richly trimmed with merveilleux and orange blossoms. She wore the usual wreath and veil, also some beautiful ornaments iucluding a gold watch and chain the gift of the bridegroom, aud carriel a lovely shower biuquet of whibe chrysanthemums and maidenhair fern. The bridesmaids were Miss O'Brien (-sister of bride) and Miss MoEwen (sister of bridegroom) who were stylishly afctireJ in dresses of violet trimmed with cream silk, and wore gold brooches and bangles, gifts of the bridegroom. Ttioy also won hats of white velvet prettily trimmed with ostrich feathers. Ml-. W. MoEwen (brother of bridegroom) acted as best man. After the careimny the guests were entertained at the residence of the bride's brother and sister, North Road, where a sumptuous wedding breakfast was laid. Mr. and Mrs. McEwen left by the afternoon train for Timaru en route to Wellington. The travelling costume was a dark blue tweed tailor made dress and white felt hat trimmed with black velvet and feathers. In the evening a most enjoyable social was held and entered into with great spirit by all present. Amongst some of the dresses worn I noticed, Miss K. O'Brien in a fawn tweed costume which suited her admirably, Miss Cissie O'Brien wore a becoming fawn tweed with blue velvet vest, Miss Nora O'Brien a simple but dainty white muslin ; Miss Lillie O'Brien moss green trimmed with cream beaver; (sisters of bride) Mrs. Robbie black silk dress , Mrs Cagney, black serge skirt velvet bodice ; Mrs. Laudels, stylish brown tweed costume ; Mrs. Spiers, black relieved with cream ; Mrs. Carrol, navy blue dress, passementerie trimmings ; Miss J. Duncan, becomiog brown costume ; Miss Cagney, pretty black costume, cardinal vest ; Miss Lynch, stylish dress of grey tweed ; Misses Joyce (2). blue dresses trimmed with beaver ; Miss Reid, dark skirt, white blouse ; Miss Catto, black relieved with white. The wedding presents, of which there were a great number, were both useful and costly, but not having a correct list of the donors I cannot give a full account of them.

Thp Went port Knot of the 12th inst, has the following .—The Rev. Father Malone, (delayed here through the unworkable condition of the Grey bar), preached eloquent and concise sermons to large congregations at St. Cauice's Church yesterday, morning and evening. It was announced that Father Costello had arrived to assist the parish priest in his duties. His Grace the Archbishop countermanded the appointment of Father Gallagher, this gentleman, we understand, remaining in Wellington. Father Malone, in referring to the new appointment, yesterday, said the people of Westport had made a good bargain, and from his experience of the new curate he wa- sure they would be loth to part with him. The choir, which was materially strengthened yesterday by outside talent, did full justice to the superb Catholic Church music. Two pioneer members of the choir (Messrs. 11. Pain and F. Sontgen), who have been on the retired list for some time, also rendered valuable assistance, as of yore. Miss Pain presided at the organ.

Thk Wailiao correspondent of the North Ottnjo Times writes :-- On Sunday, the 25th in-t.. the new Catholic church, the foundationstone of which was laid a few months ago, will be open for worship. The ceremony is looked forward to with much interest by the members of the church, all the more so that Bishop Verdon, of D inedin, is expected to take part in the proceedings.

Ox the 30th ult., in the Catholic Churjh of Coroinandel, Miss Bridget 0 Xeill was united in the holy bonds of matrimony to Mr. Walter ODwyer of Whangarei. The Nuptial Mass was celebrated by the Rev. Father Egan. pastor of the district, who was assisted by Very Rev. Father O'Neill. Milton, brother of the bride. A number of relatives and friends of the bride and bridegroom assisted at the sacred ceremony, and on the procession leaving- the church the wedding march was played by Miss Carroll, who had presided at the organ during holy Mass. The wedding breakfast was partaken of at the house of Mr. Lillis, uncle of the bride, and was in keeping with the function of the morning. Father Egan in a felicitous speech proposed the health of the newly-married couple and from the knowledge he had of both parties, the bridej groom as his parishioner for some time and the bride a-, a member of one of the oldest and most respected families in the Irish city in which he had spent some of the happiest years of his life, he had no hesitation in predicting that (hey would make a model couple and bring down Gol's choicest blowings on their union. Father O'Neill in responding for the newly-wed pair, succeeded in imparting a good deal of humour and raising a few hearty laughs amongst the assembled guest*. A pleasant evening was spent at the bride's aunt's (Mrs. Dooley), after which the young coupe left for their new home amid the cubtomary showers of rice and old shoe?.

We understand from Mr. J. Albert, the secretary, that the Temuka Hibernian Society is progressing steadily. The meetings

are well attended and this has caused members to take a more lively interest than formerly in the proceedings. Several new members have been lately enrolled, and in a short time the lodge will be in a position to make satisfactory arrangements with one of the resident medical men. This necessary proceeding has been in abeyance for a time as the annual amount asked was considered more than the funds of the lodge justified. Some mutual modifications are to be made before a definite understanding is arrived at.

Information will be very thankfully received of the whereabouts of Edward Crowe, aged twenty-three, and Patrick Crowe, aged sixty-four, both of whom left Cooktown, in North Queensland, for New Guinea in August of last year. Communications may be addressed to Mr. John Crowe, Southend Hill, Southland, or to the Editor, Tablet Office.

Owing to pressure on our space we are compelled to hold over News of the Week and other matter.