TOM MANN.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 322, 24 January 1902, Page 4

TOM MANN.

rllS ARRIVAL IX WELLINGTON, DESCRIRTfOX OF THE LABOR LEADER.

( Special to Ti.mks.) Wellington, last night. Tom Mann, the famous English Labor Leader, who boasts of having been expelled from three Continental countries on account of bis extreme views on Socialistic questions, arrived in Wellington by the Ruapehu on Tuesday. He is about the last man one would suspect of filling the role of a labor agitator. He sports a wellcut check suit, is a finely set up, goodlooking fellow of swarthy complexion, and has a breezy manner of “ hail fellow well met ” order, which establishes friendly relations on short acquaintance. If a guess was hazarded as to Ids profession, one would pronounce him to be a travelling commercial with a large business connection. As a matter of tact he is an engineer of some qualifications. He speaks well, and indicates a fairly intimate acquaintance with the affairs of our colony, the result, he says, of talks ho had with Bon. Tillett on his return from a run through this colony some time ago, and with other New Zealanders who have travelled Homo, and a study of many of our Statute books. The impression left on

the minds of those who met him on arrival was that he is a man who will speedily make his presence felt. At prosent lie has no intention of dipping into politics, but will devote himself solely to making a study of social and industrial questions if the liberty is permitted him, and for that purpose he will travel all over Australasia, making Wellington his headquarters, When asked what induced him to turn his attention to these colonies, ho replied that he had always felt an admiration for their independence, Ho was full of life and energy, and the go-ahead characteristics of our country enticed him from the more selate methods of the older world. He predicts a possibility of bad times ahead for Great Britain at the close of tho present war. There were indications of it when he left. Tho war had unduly stimulated industrial matters generally, and something in the nature of stagnation was almost bound to follow, for a while at least. Mann was greeted on arrival by a number of prominent members of the local Labor Party, and will be entertained by some of tho organisations during the week. He is accompanied to the colony by his wife and two children.