RED FEDS & JUSTICE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2135, 29 April 1914, Page 8

RED FEDS & JUSTICE

THE HOLLAND PROTEST

WILD TALK AT THE TOWN HALL

lllltr JUMllb ABUobU

The. Town Hall was crowded last evening, when a, meeting was held under tho auspices of the Social Democratic Party and speeches were delivered by tho representatives of tho party in Parliament and others. Bed badges woro very numerous in all parts of tho hall, a number of children being busily engaged in selling them, but indications were not wanting that a largo number of thoso present had cotno rather to observo than to take part in tho proceedings. The extent to which the "Red" element was represented sufficiently accounted for tho apparent unanimity displayed. The meeting was called tii further the candidature of Mr J. Glover, I tho Social Democratic candidate for tho I Mayoralty, and with a view'to organising a protest against tho imprisonment of H. Holland (recently convicted of sedition). The Waterside" Workers' Band played for a time before tho mooting opened. From nino o'clock onwards peoplo left the hall in a fairly steady stream, and in all somo hundreds at least must have taken their departaro before the end of the meeting. Tho speakers of the evening came upon tho platform shortly after eight o'clock, accompanied by their chairman, Mr.. P. Frazer, and wero loudly cheered. A littlo girl dressed in red presented a bouquet to Mr. Glover. Tho chairman announced that tho Campaign Committee would meet on Thursday night to begin its campaign for the next General Election. (Applause and Hear, hear.) A voice: Holland will be out then!

Tho chairman: And quite possibly Holland may bo in then. (Applause.) Ho went on to read a letter from Holland, in which the latter stated, that ho would bo much interested in the Mayoral election, and asked that no plea should be put forward for his release on the ground-of his state of health. (Applause.) Mr. C. H. Chapman' moved tho following resolution, which' was loudly applauded:— _ "That this meeting of Wellington citizens vigorously protests against tho gaoling of men as a result of tho strike, and demands of tho Government their unconditional release forthwith; further, we call upon tho Labour forces of this city to rally to tho poll to-morrow, and by voting for tho Sccial Democratic candidate, Mr. J. Glover, register a. protest against tho brutal oppression of Labour characteristic of tho Tory party's administration; and with a view of preventing similar outrages against Labour in the future, we urge upon all trades unionists to agitate unceasingly to mako the July Congress a success, thus uniting in the bonds of solidarity both politically and industrially tho working-class movement of New Zca- I land.' , A Jury Attacked. Mr. Chapman, speaking in support of the resolution, contended that tho jury # which tried Holland had been, packed. Trial by jury, when tho jury was packed, was worse- than unfair, it was a fraud. Holland's trial, he continued, was quite as blackguardly as the treatment of tho men deported from South Africa, and if he had boon given a fair trial with the first twelve men selected ho would not havo been put in gaol. Remarking that the meeting was not packed as the jury had been, Mr. Chapman asked: "Do you consider that Holland was unjustly put in prison?" The "yes" that followed was given loudly. "Now," continued the epeaker, "perhaps there arc some who consider he was fairly and justly treated?" Thero were a few affirmatives in r<v ply, amongst which some women's voices could bo heard, but a louder chorus of "noes." After further elaborating his contention that Holland had been unjustly treated, Mr. Chapman went on to reI mark that Mr. Riddell's appointment as Senior Stipendiary Magistrate of Wellington had caused a considerable amount of dissatisfaction and discontent in tho Justice Department. Other men had seniority over Mr. Riddell, said tho speaker, hut Mr. Riddell was appointed because of his recent reputation for sovority towards-the men who went on strike. "When will tho workers realise," ho added, "that only when they appoint the justice will they get justice?" (Applause.) Finally he stated that tho "gang" that won the last civic elections had spent £10,000 upon their campaign, and had already more than recouped this outlay, inasmuch as tho rentals from city leases wero returning less by £12,000 than they should return. Mr. P. C. Webb, M.P., who was greeted with cheers and applause, said that words could not express the pleasure with which ho joined in tho protest "against the brutal treatment meted out to our comrade Harry Holland." In his succeeding remarks, he asserted that law and order wero uphold at Waihi only by tho strikers, and that the "lawless br'igado" were "Mr. Massey's policemen" and the free labourers. A voice: Scabs, please! Mr. Webb also accused the freo labourors of "house-breaking tactics" (this in reference to the contest for. possession of tho Miners' Union Hall), and of being responsible for the death of Evans. He further stated that a recent magisterial decision had ordered tho peoplo who took possession of tho hall to restore it and to pay a fine of £50. This showed, he claimed, that the Fcderatiouists had kcjifc the law while their opponents had broken it. When he went on to refer to tho Primo Minister, a man in tho gallery remarked: "They will get. him one darli night, up the lane." In the latter part of his speech Mr. Webb criticised some Government supporters, and predicted that Holland would bo released as Tom Mann and Jim Larkin had been.

Mr. Payne's Language, . Mr. J. Payne, 51.P., spoke of the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. Luke) as "a, welched little worm." and stated that Mi , . Luke, speaking in tho presence of ;i third person, had said: "Wo arc uoiii;; to unseat Payne for the part he has taken in the strike." "Fancy a wretched little creaturo like Luko unseating anybody," said tho member for Grev Lynn, and lie added that ifc was a reflection upon the- intelligence of tho pcoplo of a city if they returned "such creatures to power." Mr. J. fflover spoke briefly of his candidature for tho Mayoralty, and appealed particularly to tho women voters for support. Chief Justice Assailed. Mr. P. H. Hickcy spoke in support of tho resolution, and defended tho circular sent out by tho JXrA Federation on behalf of tho men imprisoned for ofl'onres committed at tho time- of tho strike. Me declared that tho imprisonment of these men was a libel on justice, and he regarded the treatment, of the men sent to prison—every ono of Hipin—as dastardly in the extreme. "I aiw yoing to pay no compliments to Sir liobort Stout," ho added. "I regard Sir I'obert, Stout—and we are living in strenuous limes, and I trust you will appreciate the danger that I run in saying this—in my opinion. S[r Robert Stout, who is professedly a. Tadical, is nothing more than an asinine old hypocrite—that is my opinion." (Applause.) It must be realised that men.

would rise up to fight against tyranny and oppression exercised upon the workers in New Zealand. Tho '.'Post," in a most contemptiblo way, had held up one of tho unfortunate imprisoned men as an example. He did nafc care- who or what a man was; if be bad jiot committed tho crimp for which he had been boiitenccd he did not care even if the man's record was as black as Hell itself. (Applause.) Mr. Jlickey went on to declare that Mr. Luke represented the class who owned the shims, "the dirty milk-cans and the dirty milk in tho cans." Of Mr. M'Laren ho remarked: "One likes to speak kindly of the dead —(laughter)—and so far as tko Labour movement is concerned, M'Laren is as dead as tho proverbial herring." Mr. J. H. M'Combs, M.P., complained that his recent meeting at AVnihi had been unfairly reported, that tho obstruction and opposition which he encountered on that occasion wcro comparatjvolv trilling, and that there was a. decided rovulsion, in tho mining town, against the Government. Hβ also dealt at somo length with civic matters, and denounced tho manner in which tho Wellington tramways aro at present administered as "profit-mongering." Tho interest on capital cost, he urged, ■should bo made a charge upon the rates, only the cost of working being paid out of rovemte.

Enter Mr. R, Semplff* "Mr. It. Scrapie, Federation of Labour organiser, delivered a. speech which consisted mainly of elaborate abuse of ,sfinisters of the Crown. Krf«ring to tho Mayoral candidates, ho said; "Luko had tho -courage to feed the sktmks who fought his battle for hifti and give them tobacco, and Mrs. Lnko had tho courage to give, them creain pilfiV Mr. M'Laren, ho added, "was as free from political principles as a frog was from feathers." (Applause.) Mr. Somplo predicted that tho Social Democrats would register a vote to-day which would surpriso Now Zealand, and stated that ho had recently addressed a meeting of three thousand {nsopio in Christchurch, and that if the Prime Minister went to Christchurch he would jiot get such a hearing as tko ■Agitator got. Speaking of tho motion befoi'o tno meeting, ho continued: "Wo don't plead with these people to let Holland out, or any other man «it, of gaol because their health is bad. W© say they should bo released on priticiplo. (Applause.) Wo' don't implores, v;c keep on demanding and demanding till wo aro strong enough to compel those creatures to listen to our demands." Mr. Semple's concluding remark was that tho effect of next election on ttto Prime Minister, to whom lib had -referred several times as "tho product of tho haystack," would bo to ''send him back to hang on the end of a cow's teat." ~jv|g Tho' motion was put to tho meeting, tho chairman asking those vho approved it to stand. Practically every* ouo in tho hall stood up in response.'