LABOUR'S TEA PARTY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 677, 30 November 1909, Page 4

LABOUR'S TEA PARTY.

u : : :'ME.- AND -MKS.:, WILL;; CROOKS ; ' ' ■ : ; 'A .number of people assembled nt.thn; invitation.of the' Trades aiid Labour Council to take tea ,with';Mr. : and Mrs.-Will: Crooks/ at-thc; Hotel Windsor yesterday afternoon.' The..chair was oceupied'by.. Mi , . , W. .Nopt:(president,of the council), who; was supported :by-Mr. E. Tregear (sbcretaryifor Labour).; Among those who spoke ; TOrq.,the:Hon. •X;Paui,.:M.L.CV,.:Mr. ;W. T. Young' (secretary;of tho.Seamen's .TlnionJ.jthe EevpJ.>J'. : North, Mr. J. Keardpn (secretary of. I the ;6ener.al:;LabouTers': Union), the Eov. Mr., 1 Thompson,- of-iPetone;. the -Hon.. T. ;W>'. Hisldp, and Mr. Johii Hutchison. ' -'. .;•;,.^> , ;. . i .<.Mr,\NooJ?;extended,-,on■:behalf.of:tho-Labour, . party,; a . very ,;kearty, -welcome to^Mr.: and; Mrs. 1 ■Crooks.: Ho'went ;,on. to say that. , , they/had /the things to deal vrith hercas thej. had !at .HoineV'but' whore- .they. ; had tens lin New ,'Zoaland there , were/'- , , thousands Vat -Home; ;Labour had .awakened during the last two or 'three, years, and at-the last Trades and.Labour Conference in Qctobcri.it, was resolved, and carried, ; with only two dissentient''voices,, that they.'should-, elect direct representatives v'td ;Porljament,~ He trusted that Mr.' Crooks, would; be restored to health, so that ho could carry;. on : ;the"good.: work... To : Mrs. Crooks ho .said that they- wore .not' 'unmindfnl of \thp rselfsacrifices, she had undergone, ; and., were ;■ not I unaware : -that .she. had been responsible' for .nialurig-Will.'.'Crooks;, tho man;he was 'to-day;. (Applause.) -. ; ■;","■;'■■ \ -':)'■:' '■' -.■■-'. v--•.'■•-■ ;,■':' ■■.'•''■■'■■ '.'; -Mr.;-M.vJ. : ; Bcardon' said it -was Crooks-was; iot.-here for-.threp months, instead-;of--thrcp;days;H''v^;/:: ■■ '■-.:■ ■■',;';, ; ;',.;:..->.'■;.. -S ,-".Mr.'.John Hutchison .said .ho was sincerely glad, that'■Mγ;'* Crooks was .'a member of: the .Christian Church. ■•It;, was. all too (ioninionly the case that feelings existed i bet\yeen the'partics (tho Church and the Labour parties) created' misunderstandins's, thougli the : aims of Labour'■;' accord; with those: of the; fbr- ■ werd: .reovemont' ; ,in ■ the '; Church. ■■ Mr.' jCrooks's great gospel was : "Help yourself!" . It was not sitting, down' and'talking , about 'it that waa going to,«ffeci ;the'uurpo9O. ' They must .all db' some .spade'work.,- The epeaker referred to his secession ■'the , Liberalranis to Labour in .1898,' when he .had,.be«n called, a traitor, but , it.had;come'to what,h«-had phesied. '':■'■; ■■:;■.'■::'■"■'".'. : .'■'% ■"■' V ■''.■■' 'I-';.'"'='■■■ ' . 'The Ilevs.-Thompson and 'North; the Hons. ■j;.' Paul and,: Eislop/'and ;Mr.;;T.-y;', '■SToungalso ipoke. '■v-.'. .'■'..'":':''■ ;, .: ::Mr. Crooks.said'.'ho -and, Mrs. Crooks.- Tom; rory; , unimportant; persons, . and -they. ; had to ;-■ thank:,. God {:■ ■ who ■>■ ■. had . given ;'■ them the opportunity to dp something.. /■ ; ' : '''■■;■.'. : .'-I was;blessed- with , a mothor. with.-a lion's _heart,'* .said-Mr; : Crooks, ""but-one that 'had all a woman's tenderness. I.havo seen her take, up ..the: cudgels for poor inen.andMvomon , '.whpse : lot 'in'.life was: better than ours. Whenever.'there ; was ;trouble in the neighbourhood they would.valways rush ;to;".our; : house. ,:Ono' day ; , a poor woman came and' told her- tale. , .'Oni -what a''.sb.amo! - 'AVhat a' shame!' .said mother.,'you . who', have worked, so hard for your .'.'children,' and then' to be beaten by that drunkeD bTUte/.' Tie brute happoned to be standing by,'.' -'I'd do the. same tp you, if 1 •had 'yon/-said : he.;; Sho went straight ■. up to .;hiin, : 'and,-said,! : 'Bo it!', 'Ho did it,' and the : sißst ■ moment iriy "mother was hammering his head on, tho stones, of the street. (Applause) She- wasn't afraid' of anyone. ... Next to my mother : I •:.;respect, my. .wifo. : - .What she has beou to mo- no; pno knows—no ;qno; will evor know.';: TVhon some one asked me if I .did not Eomotimo3wish that my mother had seen tho .success.. of : her bPy.i -1 rbmembei - tho story of the: cricketer—who made 100. 'Don't you wish your .father -could' see .you?' 'said someone. ;'My fathor. is-in Hcavonj' and'hecanisee!' ■ So do I believe that she , can• Eee\mp. Wo' took tho.last -.£lO-but 'of the bank to. make this trip,-but we are going back cheered and freshened '.to "icommerico ngain.' with Christ's aid." (Loud' applause.): "•■'■'■•-. : . ;...:''... ■. .-■