LABOUR AT WAR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1043, 14 September 1911, Page 4

LABOUR AT WAR.

A PECULIAR INCIDENT.

A rather amusing incident occurred at the close of Professor Mills’ lecture, “Making the Beginning under the Co-operative Commonwealth,” at the Opera House, Wellington, on Sunday evening. One of the statements made by the lecturer was that within three months the whole of the labour organisations of the Dominion would be brought together in such a manner that they would be able to act at one man. In order to perfect the scuemes as quickly as possible, he made an appeal for lunds. Then the chairman (Mr D. McLaren, M.P.) invited questions, and several were asked and answered. Une of me audience (Mr F. Freeman) rose and asked the chairman if he could put a question respecting Air Mills’ last statement. Mr Mills replied m the negative. 'i. ue speaker addressed the chairman, but Mr Mills shouted: “That man must sit uown or go out!” the speaker once more appealed to the chairman, but Mr Mills, giving Mr McLaren no chance to intervene, called upon a constable to remove the vvonid-be questioner. The chairman thereupon asked the couscable to take no action, and recalled Mr Freeman as he was about to leave the building, and asked him to resume his seat. Mr Freeman said that he always obeyed the ruling of the chair, but not that of the lecturer, and with that the incident ended. The question Mr Freeman intended to put had he not been prevented by Mr Mills, was to the following effect: — ‘‘ Mr Mills states that within three mouths he will be able to unite the different labour organisations throughout the Dominion, and appeals tor lunds to help the same. That being so, how can he explain that the Federation of Labour has appointed the most eloquent man in New Zealand to follow Professor Mills and expose the hollowness of his unity scheme ?”