THE PRESENT LABOUR UPHEAVAL.

Press, Issue 14828, 20 November 1913, Page 8

THE PRESENT LABOUR UPHEAVAL.

10 TUE EDITOK OK "THE PRESS." ? " I Sir,—On Sunday night I had \s__ § through the Square. Seeing tha nfSi I crowd asseml.-led near the tram fihriS? 1 1 stood for a whilo to listen to-jSv Social Democratic speaker, ta !'.£'* sometimes when my duties take u*j 1;" 1 that direction. The speaker abusedQa- I Government, the Liberal members v t Parliament, and particularly those *£ I represent Christciiurch. **The ! newspaper and its editor camo ia fori jj special measure of abuse, ltseeaedb' mc that tho speaker was "intoxicaJ*"* by the exuberance of his bosky." ilo indulged in tho usua ) tirade against "the employers" and'tis' I "capitalists," whom the stump orates . continually teach the workers to regari m as their enemies. lam certain*tfaal' i fi such sentiments are not held by ' ft. bulk of the working das,*,. 11 do they accept us leaders Iff such extreme and unjust viovvs? {£ SS cialism is not a practical scheme, tjA §11 its adoption iv a general sense is anijj. |f| possibility. Tbo present social stsb II is the growth of the ages. Soa_ §1 inequalities thero are. In huaaj li affairs it cannot be othenrisj. 11 but I contend that tho fi agitator and tho men holding extras'li views on Labour question-; are a &». W% ger to the community, and will ever ft. rag main such. In overy La-_our uph__rij-r| led by such agitators, it is necessary ft. §| whatever Government is in pow©r,aj Jm all countries, to adopt a strong pogg '9 and tako steps for the due maintejuati §1 of public safety. Such a course irtl* ii only one which will jircvont violent ti&s M tics being adopted by the §1 by such men. Wellington would SA-ffl havo escaped more violent scenes t_3-S destruction of property had not tt» M Government adapted tho -stf«Bg -si measures they did for the pß*>s_"'|§j safety. Hero in Christchurch ot? §§ thanks are duo to "Tho Press" n~+, M paper, one of tlie ablest, as it is akooaj'B of the most honourable, journals ia Net f|| Zealand, for the manner in whkh itl___s fj| discussed tho present "strike." It ht _i given us both sides of the question, _t publishing lengthy statements from tbe _l strike., leaders and Labour represent-.- S3 tives. and reporting tho occurrences q R_ an impartial manner. The . load_»-Blj articles havo been extremely judicw ||] and moderate in tone, and abound liU M sensible advice. On reading Monday* §1 leading article on the dispute, I thonat f§ my friend tho Social Democratic speafor || of* Sunday night, in the Square, *<fbd4 W probably feel a littlo ashamed of ing used such harsh and insulting tens f| towards "Th§. Press." f M I see that the deputation ffliei || waited upon the City Council to ask the Mayor to call a public m«k'l| ing, behaved in a very mild and'ft*. 9 ciliatory manner, tho spokesman Waft- f_ I believe, the Cathedral square spalter.ggj of Sunday night. Why could he i& M adopt the same moderate ton.- trier m addressing the crowd? Ido notfi»- 1 that any good can como from the pfgf |j posed citizens' meeting. I, as a a_sj-; 1 ber of tlie community, but not beiaja - M business as ordinarily understood," eqfr.. g sider it is intolerable that the bnsiwsr || of tho country, should be held * : . |J any Labour organisation. It opghtV_*lJ| to be possible for strikers to interf4?«|| with tne carrying on of work whSf they have declined to perform. M them to attempt to hold posspssio_»' i d , ,,p the wharves is an act of rebellion,-!!- Is should be treated as such. ""li safety and progress of the country it'-., w necessary that the Government oftlijf' 8 day should put an end to such a pc*— B bility. In doing so they are conforri-C,"l a great boon upon all, and not' least ■ upon the workers themselves.—Yours^'H etC *' A. F. J. mCKLB."?I November 18th. ,"g