CHRISTCHURCH COMMENTS.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 48, 9 February 1912, Page 10

CHRISTCHURCH COMMENTS.

The City Council of this village will pass down in history as a famous band of anarchists who were known to adopt by-laws that could not possibly be carried out. and consequently the people were taught to look upon the law as a farce. One of these by-laws has already become famous, and is known as By-law No. 5. If you asked any small boy or girl in the slreets they could tell yon what it relates to. Being interested in military training, I borrowed a shilling off Fred the tailor to go and see "The Chocolate Soldier." Like Comrade Hartley, I would sooner talkto anti-Socialists than I would to Socialists i.you .stand a chance to convert an anti. but there's no hope with a Socialist), so I went up with the antis among the "gods." By the heat of the place I expected to see my old friend Nick appear at any moment. However, it was very comforting to look down below at the Socialists enjoying cool and soft positions. I know they were all Socialists, or at least ''great dividers," because they had all the good things and mostly red cloaks, whilst the antiSocialists among whom 1 was wore celluloid collars and "Brum'' jewellery. Now, By-law 5 says that every person paying his bob shall be entitled to 18 inches, numbered, to sit on. That fh theory is all right. They gave mc a ticket numbered 3(38 and yanked mc into a seat with 327 on it. The management knew anti-Socialists were mostly fools (or they wouldn't climb to the gallery), and so it didn't matter. I wouldn't have minded much, only the lady in 32G brought a "sit-upon" with her that measured at least 36 inches, so slie found it impossible to keep it within the 18in. limit; consequently, her neighbor and I had to take the surplus into our 18 inches. But that lady was breaking the bylaw, and ought to have been sent to jail like Freddy Cooke and Charlie Smith.

We have had Paddy Webb with us this week, and like Bcecham's pills, he's matchless for the complexion, or. at least, ho has put a different complexion on things in the Holy City. We have a j lumber of enthusiastic young fellows here who believe that we can bring about tho Revolution without converting the great body of workers, and they liad got the idea into their heads that the F.L. was also instituted with that object in view. Now, I want the Revolution just as quickly as these young men; in fact, quicker, if possible, because I haven't got so long to live; but I realise we have a lot of work to do before we shall get it. We have to convert those lads and lasses who were content to sit in a hot, ill-venti-lated gallery for three hours with their neighbors wiping their hobnailed socks on the back of their best Sunday coats or blouses, and wo have got to convert those dear old trade unionists who still believe that the boss pays them their wages, and that if the boss dies they would be out of work. The movement wants these young mcn —we can't afford to lose them—and I think Paddy's little bit of advice to them will bear fruit. They can't bring about the "great change" by themselves, so it fs no good rushing ahead for displaypurposes.

I suppose I shall be termed a 'chocolate soldier," but I would sooner be a real live "chocolate -soltlier" than a very dead hero. I often think of the. Devons on (I think) Spion Kop; when their ammunition, had given out, they stood to attention and were shot down to a man. Reads nice; looks well in print; it's carved on many stones.; but—mr.ny of their wives and children to-day are starving or ending their days in an English workhouse! if their husbands and fathers had been of the "chocolate" variety of soldier, they would have done a "get" directly they found their dear country had not supplied them with enough ammunition to keep the shooting going. Or they might have previously inquired what the quarrel was about, and then they never would have left England.

1 agree, with "Heard and Said" n last wick's issue that the Socialist Party of this Dominion wants reorganising, and I sincerely hope that the Faster Conference will grapple with the proposition. The weakness of the party, to my way of thinking, lies in tho 'apjxiint'ment of one particular branch as the executive. I would like to see the annual conference elect the officers regardless of the branch thenbelong to. There is another matter that we should seriously consider, and that is the credentials of visitors to those shores. Take the poition of Prof. Mills! He's here in our midst an avowed Socialist, and yet ho has done, and is still doing, more to stop the movement than any other individual that has ever come this way. The executive should deal with this gentleman at once.—THE YAQ.