The Editorial "I"

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 54, 22 March 1912, Page 12

The Editorial "I"

Travel and the telegram seem to mo to be conspicuous features of Now Zealand life. Kverybody travels, evorybody toll-graphs. Both habits arc contagious, iind ln-noo my fairly rapid acclimatisation. ] :im Ix-ijimimg to know ;\o\v Zealand. as otherwise, l-'oj , li:;in;i<v"i'iill and editorial purposes a rapid run as lar as J)niM"lii; appeared iidvi >;il)!i-, and wheiu'H insist - cm invitation from Chn.J.ehe.rch \ws repoa ted, "yours truly" felt a combined ■pull' , thai, was irresistible- and hiwent a-roaliiiiij;.

Bui. ]'ni still vuiidetiiig why a boat should tliink it 1 1l«> best way of honoring ilk , Sabbath by extravagantly protin* .sufferings of everything upon ii. The buat left Wellington at 11 o'clock ]).in. o.ii Saturday, and reaolicil I.,vti4'hi)ii at (5.30 p.m. the next fvonii'.u! It looked oven then as if oiif 1 could wwch fhristchurch oasilv by 8 oYioi-k, lint tho bclat-ei ship's passengers speorlily Sfated themselves in tho train, th..v bad to curse and yroan inwardly for an hour ore the unconsciously ironic <;tiard humorlcssly slioutod "AU scats please," and the t.raiii moved wlion further patience had l)Ae.?i iii'huiDiii). Wo reached the C'liristdnirch station at 6.j, and ten minnfcos later I made a dramatic outranoc into the Socialist, mooting- Never had 1 i'elo so like ''the villain of the pieco." I found tho Socialist Party at Christ-

church an active and niili'.anL organiisa-

tion of enthusiasm and in!lu"iico. 1 have over found that GO united people can exorcise a power equal to that of

1000 average peoplo— whHi explains why Unify is always victor, in whatsoever field you like. And at Christehuirh it was quite, obvious that an organisation had been established which uas permeating, affecting and educating thought and action, though itself comparatively small in .members. Th<» propaganda woek of tho Socialist Party

at Ohiistohurch shapes in excellent Sunday evening; meetings, in open-air meetings Sunday afternoons and evenings ill I lie renowned tiithodral Square, in liierature distribution; and in co-op-

oration with agencies of kindred aims. A good executive* committee—and this means so much- is always on t.he move, and the business meeting of the party I visited was woll attended and I ''Xpert. The chief spokesmen lor the I party are Fred. C'ooko and Ted Howard, I but associated with them are capable I men and women comrades, in. liioir turn headed by a stimulating band of ofli-e<-rs. mi! h whom it was strength to converse. T!ie literature dnj);irtmeirL is in ft i ood | hands, and the stock of stuff is worthy aiwl It gave mo joy I(o mer(. a lino ivadine.ss aj:d confidence jin :!i;d -: should it bo required, I to 'Tiai" Scott Bennett for a term. All I the leadinp: spirits were iinmenselv interested in tho forthcoming conference. Christchureh has played its part in the •Socialist ni-ovoiiHMit, and must bo rockI oned wil'li. Readers will be famili.i.r j with its incidental work for tho Fedj oration and against militarism. j I wns pleased to meet some of the men identified with the propaganda branch, of tho Federation, and to discuss malters with them, and the same i can be said regarding tho able and self- | sacrificing leaders of the no'-v-cek'brat-ed Peaco Council. It happened that oti t.ho Monday I I spent in Cliriotchurch, Marry Cooke, ! aged i", was arresk-d tli<s second time I and sentenced to i!l days at Ivyttdlon j jail with hard labor. 1 do not think 1 J .shall ever forgot visiting tho plucky I lad in the cell, nor in witnessing his j i inmsfercMice to tho lnaiii par tho shud- ! dersonio and cUyXcidLng 1 Slack ]\"a.ri;i. J I was to meet him again on tlio following Thursday evening, just roloa.sr-d from inipriioiiment'. Any fr.Lher under I siKih eircumstanoos woul'l naturally , think of his ov.n boys, and the thought j mndo mc for one vow never to rest ; until child conscription had been ic- [ pmliatod^b^ , a passio-nato and aroused I lnition. Y\o who are parents con feel i for those other parents whoso hearts .•iro >sore and wounded and miserable I because of tlio liarm and wrong being "patriotically" done thvir suns through court and jail. Jly the way, the P.issivo Roeisters' Union of Christchureh will go far in the making of living history. I chatted j with such striking youths as IVlcGul- j lough and Worm 11 and isonie others: j their seiititnents and their spirit \u".v admirablo. ' Next at T)i:::-:dii:, t!>e be- { cwtx-n the cities boi:ig s.peiit with titanley Weyisirin's "Ciii^ving. , " dw. "I)c:!!os' " balanced rec--.i)) , i;iend;!J.i-:)n) Tho inocti:i~ at Tr.vlrr, Hr.li wa largely made by Conn'ades ?»:!e.Manus and .McCir'thy.'b'ith u«w of-t!i« 1,-abor P;>rty. j""ii-:-y ;■!:■<] mv? -won?, wh.-ilesaie, j and 1 rejoiced it: Uiciii. Ml ;he dis<:i.'.s- j sio;i nii'otetl on wii-i-thf-r . c O::ia!i>;in ecind I b'-st. bo advanc"..! by "witliin" :n j '•witiiOiiL" th..-. !,:!!/'?•■ JViri-y. After i: was ( ov-r )% l felt ti-.at AleManuL, n;-d McCarthy iir;d to n-ir vay. 3 ; Vr, I yo;i see, the iihe'e for Socialists is to- j gi-th'T, and th.c ]il;v:o to bt> tog.'tl'.er is in tho parly for Socialism. :\t ]):m"diu I revel!'d in sever;'' splendid r!: at s wiiii '"Jim" Mun-ro, v.ho.-c wo:k ;-.'; I);!iie-lii: will las;; while m< irovy Jast*. I fouiul tliat the ,W- Ct'lalisi. Part, , holds open-air meetings .'•!: '"1110 ]'\iunt;iin" on Saturday and Sunday nights, &ell.> "Tho Work"r'' vi.t;<i:-i;usly on the Sifurday, and gives rem.-n'iid<-rs ay, ay, at i(o own expi-jise-, on Sundii.vi. Ah! that's the way. Among other oncountored was (he sf-crol.ar,,' of the party (J. D. Smithy who is also secretary for tho Drivers' Unionj and i.s a telling factor for Industrial "Unionism. An argument with Hon. J./f, Paul, M.L.C.—continued later in the train—was part of the excitement of the journey to Dimc-ditt,