RED FEDERATION TO LEAD.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1894, 31 October 1913, Page 9

RED FEDERATION TO LEAD.

IN THE REVOLT. . WAR-CRY FROM THE SOAP-BOX. Speeches in tho Post Office Square yesterday were again inflammatory. The only differenco was that tho crowd was moro restless. It ran'anywhero on the slightest alarm. Ono of tho first speakers was Mrs. J. Donaldson, president of the Housewives' Union. Spoaking with a good deal of vehemence, she appealed to tho women friends of the strikers to remain true, and to stand by their husbands and brothers. Sho impressed on the inen the necessity to keep sobor. They should, she said, endeavour to impress tho public of Wellington by their conduct during tho strike. Tho chairman (Mr. Bailey) stated that ho wished again to refer to those men who were acting as grooms to tho police horsos. He hoped that all interested in tho welfaro of labour would do their best to prevent theso men from doing such work. Two of tho men who had been carrying out this work on tlio previous evening had como into tho union's office and expressed their regret at having done it. They had decided to desist,' and also to do their best to'pcrsuado tho other men and boys to stop work. Mr. P. Mickey—Occult Throats. !Ir. P. Hicke.y (Federation of Lahour) said that tlio dispute had spread beyond tho confines of Wellington City. It had been handed over on the previous day to the only national labour organisation—the Now Zealand Federation. The Federation was anxious to bring about a speedy termination of tlio strike, on lines acceptable to organised labour. (Applause.) They were extremely anxious that peace should reign along tho water-front, and that work should be carried on as formerly; but they wero not going to pay "any old price" for that happy state. He realised tlio tendency of a certain section of the employers to stand flatfooted against the demands of tho

workers. This did not apply only to the present dispute, but to practically every dispute. In Auckland, 1200 wharf labourers had already come out, whilst the watersiders of Wcstport had entirely blocked tho coal trade, so far as the West Coast was concerned. Thoy only needed a word to bo sent out— cind it inight bo sent at any moment now—to bring out the workers in every other part 111 the Dominion. If this fight was not won, organised labour would be a dead-letter in the Dominion. (Applauso.) That Broken Watersldo Pledge. Mr. Hickey wont on to detail at connn° -i tllC lncidcllt s which led up to tho strike, arguing that the holdTnea\to d b T amply iilstificd in oltfinj, a stop-work meeting in order to lt C ; USSa att ? r of "tal Tmportance could i r fli l^ aUIS M 10n ' In no ot '^ cr Wa J' i?w bo te" 8 r °P reso,lt!lt 'vo meeting bo held. No , nan with . • would say that tho punishment flow CTimf-if?hor Ut t0 th 6 m -° n littod thc ' r doifiprl ~ vas a crime, whid he denied. Coal miners regularly stopped {SS^sSe#"» — Mr. Hlckoy's Idea of Cetting Poacs. 'w;, H i !Ck °£ W0 L nt on to Bay that the monej-bugs'' who controlled tho country and tho Governmont of tho country were shipping their troopers, South African contingents, and farmers' sons to Wellington, acd were turning batons to smash tho heads of the workers! Ho wished' to remark that tho strikers could not hope to .win by abusing the pohco and hurling things at them. They could gain nothing by coming into deliberate contact with the police. These men formed a necessary part of the piesent organisation of society, but lie ventured to 6ay that, if every oije of them was withdrawn next day from Wellington, and tho guarding of tlio City were left to the pickets of the Waterside Workors' Union, there would be greater peaco than ever beforo in tho annals of Wellington." (Applauso and laughter.) People would take moro notice of the pickets than of tho police, for they had "a way with them " (Laughter.) He was assured that tho individual members of tho police would far sooner not he engaged in the present struggle. Thoy did not wish to bo made tho tools of the employing class. Tlio' speaker then delivered a long disquisition on the subject of free labour. The employers (lie said) intended to win tho strike by-'"scab" labour. Thoy had won. many strikes in this way, but this was 0110 which they would not win. (Applause.) He had often gone into au'industrial'struggle with somo feeling of timidity as to tho result, but he entered upon this one with perfoct confidence, for never beforo had ho been so convinced that the workers wero in the right. (Applause.) 1 Other Orators Mr. E. J. B. Allen, a Yoikshircman, and the author of; a pamphlet which ,has beon freely offered for sale in tho Square during the last few days, also addressed tho crowd, but his voico was so weak that ho could bo heard only by a few. He gave a good deal of advice to tho strikers, his chief point being that they should uso their influence with tho soamen to induco them to come out in case of the emplojinent of •"free" labour. Mr. H. Holland, who is now a wellknown figure, said that tho strikers were in no danger, unless tho men ivoro unfaithful one to another If "freo " labour were brought to tho wharves, the seamen would refuse- to work. Boats loaded by "free" labour in Now Zealand won 1:1 not bo unloaded in Sydney. Tho drivers would not take goods 1o tho wharf ( to. be' ao...loaded/., If,, the Politro ®ii;ce'., w'ere required £o do'.duty against the strikers, ho was suro that somo of them would take olf their uniforms, and refuse to act against their fellow-workers. Numerous other speeches wero delivered, all moro or less in tho Bame strain. '. ,