SYDNEY FREE SPEECH FIGHT

Industrial Unionist, Volume 1, Issue 4, 1 May 1913, Page 3

SYDNEY FREE SPEECH FIGHT

The Sydney authorities are coming into line with other public bodies in various parts of the world. The time-honoured bogey —traffic obstruction—is being held over street speakers, and, as usual, the most militant of the propagandists, in this case the 1.W.W., are singled out for prompt and exclusive attention on the part of the police. For having “ attracted persons by speaking” on March 12, 1.913, Fellow-workers Glynn and Budd were convicted and fined 40s. and costs, or 14 days in default. Fellow-workers Leeming. Fyke, Carson, Gilligan, Reeve and Parker were likewise convicted for speaking the following week, and were fined 30s. and costs, or 14 days in default. Obstruction, discrimination, and all the rest of it, were proved and disproved, and the press, as usual, indulged its alliterative funny bone joyously. Some fines were paid, others were not. Then the compromising position into which the police had placed themselves was disclosed in its utter nakedness. A, rumpus took place at the meeting of the City Council. Alderman Meagher said there had been unfair discrimination. When the Salvation Army was holding street meetings the lynx-eyed myrmidons of the law were blind, deaf and dumb, but they became suddenly alert when some Socialist enthusiast stood up in the cause of humanity. The administration of the by-law was carried out in a dunder-headed. asinine fashion. He admitted that there was serious objection to men addressing crowds on the busy thoroughfares, but what objection could there be to such addresses in Bathurst Street, where there was very little traffic at night ? The Lord Mayor said that in the administration of by-laws discrimination must be made. Some meetings were permitted, others were not. The Salvation Army was permitted on account of its social work.

Finally, despite police evidence, magisterial hauteur, by-laws, obstruction, necessary discrimination, etc., all fines were remitted, and Ihose “taking it out” released. Lovely !

Now, Auckland, go to it. Christchurch lias had a shot.