DUNEDIN DOINGS.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 55, 29 March 1912, Page 10

DUNEDIN DOINGS.

Capturing the Crowd— Feeling towards Federation—Advice re affiliationNeed (or Propaganda. Tlio usual Saturday and Sunday nicotines at the Fountain are continuing to increase in popularity uith tlio croud. < On March D and 10 Comrado Howard, of Christohurch, dolivorcd v«;ry intcrostinp addresses to larrro crowds, which listened with marked attcution for an hour and a half, despite the cold weather. Tho temper and at tit n do of tho crowd towards tho Bo<:ia'!ist speakers at the Fountain hrts nndcifrono a lomarkable cliiirC* Murine tbo last i 2 niontha,

thanks mainly to Comrades Munro, Noilson and others.'.Twelve months ago it, was hardly possible to got a traybit rollcction'at the open-air moot-ings, Irti't now as much as 26h. is collected. On Sunday nights no make a prac- , tiw of distributing "Tho Maori land I Workers" which aro not sold on Saturday. This has the dfoet of considerably augmenting Mi' , collection and reducing tho amount pi waste paper on tho hands of the branch, besides get- | ting tho paper read by people who would not otherwise.bo reached. I recommend tlhis practice to all branches. Tho movement toward tho Federation of Labor is growing apace. lam satistied that if the Federation would do a week of propaganda work with tho unions in Dunedin, good results would immediately folloWj .' but very serious danger is ahead if tho Federation does not make some provision for tho effective permeation of tho affiliated unions with Literature. I would suggest that it bo niado a condition of affiliation that each unit of the unions becomes a subscriber to "The Worker" through tihe funds of his union. A measure of compulsion is absolutely necessary in tho education of any working-class organisation, not only in tho interest of the unit, but as essential to the safety of tho organisation. No doubt such a condition of affiliation would retard tho numerical growth of tho Federation., but bolter that than stuffing tho Federation with unions ignorant of the goal to bo achieved, without any certain meansi of reaching the units with tho message 1 of Socialism,. Witih such a condition as I suggest in full swing, the advantages to be. derived, both by the unions nnd the Federation, are many. The Federation would bo in touch with every unit; of tho whole organisation, meetings could be organised at a week's notice in any centre for any spoci.il purpose, tho secretaries oould circularise the moml>ers of their unions with special notices, appeals, etc., especial! v important to their several unions, without the necessity of addressing envelopes and paying postage ; and. 1 might hero point out that tho.ro is no more fruitful source of stagnation in unionism than fo<r secretaries to neglect +o keep in touch with members by moans of circulars dates of meetings v n.nd the nature of business to be trrnsncted. Concerted action eovld be orcrnnised of the whole of the Federation at short notice, and tliere n.rc numerous other fraught with gre.it ■possibilities.

I liono thfi FoderHimi Ejwvntivo will orivp +111 is tVioir pioct morions attcn bion.—C^NBT AHLE JOHN.