UNITY OF SPIRIT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2651, 23 December 1915, Page 3

UNITY OF SPIRIT

ADDRESS BY MR. H. C. ROBINSON GREAT AIM IN WAR TIME Owing to the paucity in the attendance at the Town Hall last evening, Mr. H. C. Robinson, of Masterton, ■who was to have spoken at length regarding his unity platform; and all that ; it meant to the Empire in the present crisis, felt. constrained to merely out•line the thoughts that had occurred to liim with respect to tlie means whereby '.re could in spirit and practice present u really united front to. the common enemy. . ' ■ The' chair was taken by Mr. John Hutcheson, who Stated that' .■ he had been asked to preside' at the meeting to hear one who had felt a call, ana was' prepared to give his time, and service to ; that call—his country's call. They would all agree that something still remained to be done in the'organisation and co-ordination of the forces and resources of the country in assisting the Empire in -the great struggle in ■which it wa-s engaged. There was not a man or woman in the Dominion wiio did not feel that, and only wanted a lead to do more in the interest of their country thau they were doing at present. He would be a bold man who would say that the forces and resources of the country were being fully utilised, and they -wanted something 'put before those in authority that -will enthuse them into aotion, and Mr. Robinson intended to continue his campaign .-■until he created some such effect. Mr. Robinson would outline the scheme,'but -would not oslc so small a meeting to pass any resolution. '

Mr. Robinson said that, .the resolution that had been referred to had been passed twice at Masterton—at ' first at a.n open-air meeting, attended by'lsoo people, and subsequently at a second meeting, when the resolution was proposed by Mr. Hugh lU'orison, president of the Patriotic Committee, and. seconded by Mr. Rod-M'Crae, a representative of labour, and a shearer. A friend of the speaker's had offered to hack him to go through the .oountry, land the unity platform's policy was issued, and sent through the country. Some.papers printed it: others did not. IThe Dominion (of November 10) was the only Wellington paper that printed it in: full.: The crux of their policy was the. resolution that.. New Zealand 1 should set an example of unity by completely organising its capital and man-power, a'n.d indicating that it undertakes to support'the National Government in any steps it may take to bring . about victory.' That meant that we should seek to subordin.ate our individual interests, stand behind our leaders, , and stop- all private bickering in order to have full command of the whole of our civil and mili-. tary forces. It did not mean conscription. It'was an assurance to the Na-: tional Government that if it would rise to the occasion they would back " it up. . At. Palmerston North V tie : meeting had been, ./attended by betWeen '400 aiid 500, people, and there Mr. M'Hardy had moved the resolution, and. Mr.'Price, a-, furniture polisher, had seconded ;it. The resolution had also been, passed., at; ail. open-air meeting in:Wanganui and one that had been held; on the wharf. At New Plymouth the resolution had also been carried,;'aiid. "there the Law, Society 'had . agreed.Hhafc it was the'basis of every'-, thing, and they would support it to the utmost. Ho had honed to go . straight to the heart- of , Wellington by, holding a- meeting on the Vharf, and iwhen the. secretary of the ' Wharf Labourers' tJnion had told him they had'sent 394 men' to the.front he ;,w'as certain that they would have stood to their mates by ..passing the resolution,, but there Seemed to be a fear over every large town that it would,mean'stopping the wheels, but such fears 'were'groundless. He .was only one pebble, and was doing a bit of rolling. He hoped it would mean , the/establishing of a unity;, platform as an ; ordinary_civic . duty,and that' by holding meetings and talking of the war by men of influence and those who have, been fighting they would in a month's time . create a public opiiiion in New Zealand so cohhsive that it would ring like a bar : of welded steel to the firm touch of a real National Government. He did not expect to turn New Zealand, from the' North Cape to the Bluff, upside down. ■'''There'were--.other people with more; power . and influence to continue ..the .work;- Yesterday (Tuesday) he had received a telegram from, Mr., Hutcheson, pij coincident with the _ telegram came the news of the evacuation of Gallipoli, and he had imagined that the public woulfl take the earliest opportunity of showing the . manner in which they were going to take ,'the news that had come to hand, but the news was going to do New Zealand more good than all the news of the early part of the war. They had been defeated in a. great

battle ,let them do as the Romans did— send out anotlier army. Up till the present it had been "business as usual," oarnivals and races were held, but from to-day the.v would got the ,trm tempered steel which represented the real character of the people of New Zealand. He could not wish those present a merry Christmas, but he wished them a peace with honour and a happy New ■ Year. (Applause.) The chairman said' he hoped they would hear Mr. Robinson at a more propitious time, when there was more electricity in the air, when they would acolairn with one voice "Ake, Ake, Kia Knhal" (Fight on for Ever!), for there could bo no peace with German honour, but only true peace with British honour. ' .

One speaker in the audience, who rose to propose a vote of thanks to. Mr. Robinson hoped that when he came to Wellington again he would be greeted with a bumper house.