STRIKERS' DEMONSTRATION" AT PETONE.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14829, 21 November 1913, Page 10

STRIKERS' DEMONSTRATION" AT PETONE.

(miss ASSOCIATION TELECRAU.) WELLINGTON. November »0 The strikers held a demonstration at Petone last night. Stress was laid by Mr Savage upon the fact that the workers could only win the light by reason.. An appeal to force have its effect, but at tho best it would only be temporary. Tho .-pcaker alM> declared that trade in Auckland was absolutely paralysed, and would remain so until tho strike was settled Much of Mr J. Payne's speech was devoted to a bitter attack upon tho Press and upon Mr M. J. Keardon general secretary of the Labourers' Union. Mr Payne advised the men of 1 etone and the workers in general to give Mr Iteardon "the dirty ki-U-out " "I'ellow workers," be declaimed, "roniember, whether wo ■ were m t^e-right or wrong, it was his duty to stand by us!"

Another speaker was Mr P. Hickev. secretary of the United Federation in Labour. Hβ denied that tiat body was a foreign organisation. He admitted that some of its members were foreigners, and continuing, he declare*! that the best fighters on the side of the strike in Wellington wero all foreigners —Germans, Frenchmen, Danes, Scandinavians, and Belgians. They wero by far the best fighters, and they were to be respected far more- tl»n the New Zcalanders who came, from "that scabridden Wairarapa." If it came to a point, wo in New Zealand wero all "'foreigners." Anyhow, foreigners had a perfect right to come to v tho Dominion and settlo in order to earn an honest crust. '