WOMEN'S MEETING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1899, 6 November 1913, Page 7

WOMEN'S MEETING.

SOME FIRE-EATING SPEECHES. At the invitation of the Strike Committee a " mass meeting of women" was hold in tho Opera House yesterday afternoon to discuss the situation created by the strike. As a "mass meeting," it did not fill tfna floor of tho tlieatro, and while tho upstairs portion of the building may have been occupied, no signs of people occupying seats there wore visiblo from tho downstairs portion of tlio auditorium, Sir. G. Glover presided, and associated with liiin upon tlio platform woro Mrs. Donaldson, Sirs. Siggins, Mr. R. Scmplo, Mr. H. Holland, Mr. E. Tregoar, Mr. M'Lennan and others.

In opening the proceedings, Mr. Glover called 1 upon Mr. M'Lonnan to.mako a statement of affairs in conncction wit'll the Strike Relief Committee. 11l tlio course of his remarks, Mr. M'Lohnan said that tliero was already much distress to bo mot with among somo of the strikers' families, and it 'had been found th.it the Belief Committee Were uniiblo t-o copo with it. I'or that reason thoy wished to increaso their numborß. ' Contributions were being sent ill, and the Italian fishermen had announced their intention of handing over tlio proceeds of that day's fishing to the wives of tlio waterside™ who wished for it. Arrangements had also been made through tho union, continued Mr. M'Tjcnnan, whereby tho wives of watersiders (unionists) could purchase goods through Mr. Hannah at reduced rates.

Fight to tho Finish.

Mr. Glover then road a resolution to the eft'cct that the women and mothers of Wellington would,do all that lay in their power to assist the strikers to bring tho struggle to a successful conr elusion.

in speaking to tho resolution. Mrs. Biggins waß most optimistio regarding

tfae power of tfho employees to end tlio strike as t'hey wished. S'lio Bpolto of tho food supplies that were being sent in from tlio country and tho financial contribution a that woro being stmt in for tho assistance of tho strikers. Tlioy wore not going to etftrvo. If "Massey and Jus Government had food, they, too, would havo food." They woro liot going to bo dragged at tlio heels of > tlio Government. If tlicy were to bo erushed, then they would drag tho Massey Government to ruin witn tham. Such, in effect, were her words. She also attacked tho Government for closing tho Mount Cook School.

Mrs. Donaldson dwelt largely upon the necessity for women understanding politics, so that they might all the better support their own representative candidates. With much indignation she told tho story of a waterside Worker who would not voto at tho last election' becauso t.hero was no 0110 worth voting for 011 the list. "And all tho timo there Was standing as a_ candidate tlio secretary of his own union, Tho capitalist could be dono without. Ho was. liot wanted," concluded, tho Bpeaicor.

Mr. Somplo indulged in a- long tirade against tho exploitation of tho workers by tlio capitalists, interspersed with a few choice remarks upon tlio "joss-houSo on tho hill," and tlio personal ajipearanco of Mr. Massey, which compared but badly with his own, in Mr. Scruple's opinion. He told his hearers that they had dono all in their power to provent a strike, and because they refused' tho conditions offered by the employers they were now suffering from a "lock-out." He urged tho Women to stand firm, and bo loyal, and they could not but win. It was a class war, In the time to como tho worker would seize his share of tho wealth ho had produced, and he, too, would have tho right to send his children to tlio high schools and colleges patronised by tho plutocrats.

Mr. Trcgoar,

Mr. E. Trcgoar, when called upon to spcal?, had something to' say of tlio Arbitration Act. Time was., years ago, when it was flouted openly by employers, but since then it had become -much more binding in its 'effects, and now tlioy wore advocating it for all they tteio worth. When employers did that tho workers might bo perfectly sure it was iv bad thing for them. Ho waa not an advocate of tho secret ballot, although where unions wanted it h.o was ill favour of their having it. That day ho had seen tho most shameful thine that ho had oyer seen in all tho years ho had been in Now Zealand, and that was a forco of men riding through tho streets, "tho outcast scum of tho > country brought down to bludgeon citizcns into submission to tho Government."

Mr. H.' Holland told tho meeting that women played tho greater part in tha success of a strike, and it was for them to rise to the occasion. Ho recited what had been dono by tho women in the great Australian strike, in which ho had been associated with Mis. Siggiftß ( (for the tailpresscs). Thoy Would' send men to represent tliom who. would demand justice from "that den I of thieves" (i.e., Parliament).

Other remarks in similar strain were made during tho meeting.