HEARTENING UP STOKERS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1906, 14 November 1913, Page 9

HEARTENING UP STOKERS.

PARK MEETING. THE USUAL TALK OF VICTORY. RECENT ARRESTS. A street procession and Park rally to hearten up tho strikers was held last night. The procession arrived at Now* town Park about 8 o'clock. Tho Watereiders' Band led tho march, and sections of tho crowd sung snatches of congs, somo to mouth-organ accompaniment ; and time and again there rose a retrain to tho eifoct that they would hang certain people on a sour apple tree. While thero was no note of dissension sounded, tho star of hope seemed somewhat dim. and the lamp t,f enthusiasm flickered low. , Mr - Daniel Donovan, vice-president of the Seamen's Union, presided. Ho referred to tho fact that sinco tho last open-air meeting somo of their leaders were under lock and kev, inclwlin>» tho man who presided at the last Park

gathering.(Mr. George Bailey), Tho striko. was not going to ha settled by that imprisonment; new leaders would rise, and more.new ones till they wefo all arrested or the fight won. At Mr. Donovan's call three cheers were- En-en tor "our boys in gaol " "Keep Tlie Flag Plying." '■ Mr. Gavin Stovo : followed:.- "When I saw this crowd," he said, "I thought what a splendid opportunity to incito the multitude. But lam not going to do that to-night. ' ' A voice: Don't get pinchett. Mr. Stove proceeded to declare that ho was not a foreigner, that his colleagues were not, and that there was no such thing in tlio Labour movement; all wero of thp groat body of workers' Iho only foreigner was the employer; Ssomo ol the strike leaders bad been imprisoned, but the strike was everywhere stronger to-night. Victory was assured. Ho had been in the'cell with the imprisoned men. They were quite cheerful. I lio strikers need not be iownhearted. Bailey was put in gaol beoauso the other side thought there was not another man m Wellington who could gather the citizens together. Ho related the following conversation wliich he said trausmred at the ,gaol :— Mr. Stove (to Bailey): Well how ate you getting on ? .Bailey: All right. Have you got a pipe of tobacco ?

Mr. Stovo: How do you like tho college ?

Bailey: It's all right, but tJm wooden springs are hard. . . . I don't mind. Keep the flag flying outside Mr. O'Neill was the next speaker. "We have heard a good deaf about gaol," ho said. "Wefl, I Lav© been thore, and I am prepared to go there again,_ and not only go there, but stop thero if they want me to in .this cause.''' They had done everything in their power for an amicable settlement, and ho believed they would win. If they did not, Labour was doomed for the nest twenty years. Appeal to Tram Men. The chairman introduced Iff. Dowgray. Mr. Doivgruy: To-night I have heard the cry, "Are wo downhearted? I say; 'i'ho crowd: No. The- workers, ho said, need liavo.no fear of the ne.v Waterside- Union. Tha 300 members of it must got about four days .behind every day, and ho did not see where they wero going to catch up. The people tho strikers wore fighting wore tho Unio* Shipping Company. This was a fight for freedom of speech. Their leaders had been milder than Larkin, whose release was being advocated. _ Tho arrest of tho leaders would result in. a spread of the striko: it was spreading 10-diy. The papers were telling 'Wollingtoii that the men were rc'turning to work in Auckland, and in Auckland tho press was saying that the Wellington men were going back. Ha prophesied victory, and said that they wore prepared to Bland a sis months' struggle. Mr. Voyce trusted that before another week elapsed the. position would have been materially changed. Ho did not mean that they should back down. It grieved him to observe tho attitude of a section of Labour. "What about tho tramway men?" Ho had no fear of the tram men. Tho position having been put heforo them by two members of the National Executive, if they had any manhood in their composition thero was nothing to fear in tho result. If they did'not veto for a national strike they would go down to history as traitors to Labour. The "Solidarity".Talk. Tho men are as solid to-day as the day they struck, as sure of victory, as determined, and their wives were as determined, according to Mr. George Farland every worker in New Zealand had a right to knock off work when he felt inclined. They had reliable information as to tho work being done ont he wharves. Thero was a screen tip so that the public could not sets in. The slings were sent up and down all day to make peoplo believe that work was actually being done. "We are. not going to starve. If I know the temper of tho workers of this country, they aro not going to starve while there is food to bo got. Whilo Massoy eats We are going to oat. Neither will the women nor tho children starve. Whilo there is food wo are going to sco that ovoryono in full." Mr, W, T. Mills was called on next.

Mr. J. Payno, M.P., also spoke. He styled tho arfcst of tho leaders .1 grievous wrong, and said that there would bo great difficulty in proving tho charges.

Mr. Hickey On Specials and Arrests,

-The last item was a speech by Mr. P. Hickey, who said tJiat he was beginning to think that lie- was something liko '.the last rose of slimmer.

A voice: I.,cft blooming alone. Ho read a cablegram from the Trades Union Congress in South Australia, expressing sympathy with tho strike. He had groat respect, for the. imprisoned leaders, but was not anxious to join them. Ho denounced tho majority of the special constables.

If the charges against the loaders, ho asked, were so serious, why were tlio men allowed at largo for three weeks? Tho Government was not serious, tat thought it would weaken the strike. Hut why was bail refused ? Did they think "Tom" Young would flit to 'Frisco in the Moana? Pool old "Boh" ficmple was not vety fat. Did they think lie would vanish altogether? Did they imagine "Harry" Holland would roll himself up in a copy of tho "Maoriland Worker" and escape to' Australia? In these days of trial and tribulation they all awake in tho mornings wondering whether they were going to grace tho gaol.