AUCKLAND ACTIVITIES.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 60, 3 May 1912, Page 10

AUCKLAND ACTIVITIES.

Tho Mayoral Contest—Awkward Questions for Parr—Union Enthusiasm —Bennett and Fitzgerald—Jailed Boys.

Uy the time this appears tho question •f the Mayoralty of Auckland will havo been settled. I had tho pleasure i?) of hearing Christopher James I'arr _t a meeting in the Windsor Rink. I was v. ; \ fortunate to get in, as I wore t1.... mblem of revolt- -a red tie. I was v.dl ;•< tended to, and had a big Irish John all to myself. All the halfJio snobociacy and the blue blood of onsonby were present with their little cards, and included several slum landlords and r<;.-.i-e:. and vagabonds (outside the wording of the Act), who lounge and sprawl about the Auckland Stock Exchange. Trrore. was also a goodly < i-owd of unionists and Reds, who ini-elo their presence known in no warni.i'uilvable manner. Speaking about Christopher, ho strikes mo as being a person who regards himself as absolutely infallible, lias great conhdence.in himself, is bubbling over with vanity and self-glory, and evidently believes in Divine He is somewhat dramatic in his delivery, sometimes voluble and emphatic, sometimes disconnected and hesitating. At tlie meeting aforesaid he refused to lake oral questions, being a big peanut, and yon had to write your insinuations On the back of Parr's manifesto. My first question was: "Seeing that Mr. Parr was a great upholder and advocate of the Arbitration Court, and insisted on all unions being under its wing, hew runic it, about that Mr. Parr's Pninn. the Law Society, was not registered under the A. and C. Aetr" He' stuttered and stammered for about three minutes, but the crowd, like myself, were no wiser for hia harangue than we were before. I also, per pencil, questioned him in icgard to the much-vaunted and lmigeverdue rise of Bd. per day to Council employees, and asked him why the rise did not apply to the old men looking after the Council lavatories, who receive 4s. -Id. per day, and one day off per month? Also, was it not a mean and contemptible action of a loea" body to t:il<e advantage of 11 man's ,-■■" and gvosslv underpay him? Tie rmle-d that he did not knew whether the ,>!d men had not the rise or not. but s.-iid he: "They are old servniiis of tlmCm- - cil, have easy jobs (oO hours per "* •■ '*' and r.M-eive a living wage." T'-irty-shillings a wee!*;, my dear Mr. M--\.-.r. a living wage! Please ask Mrs. '\-mt to keep house on .'los. por week. C. J. Pan* plucked up courage to attend the gasworkers-, whero he received anyihin- but a pleasant time. Anoth ir day he went to Goldie's mill, and inflicted himself on them until they got tired, and showed him the way out, minus his dignity. He also found Ihe tram depot at Ponsonby, one dinner hour, tnid by aomo strange trick oi i"itune didn't get hurt or even soiled, it is a remarknble thing that Parr wiets a hearing frcm over \ bod v. but when the FT/, and Labniers' Pi,ion deb-a* -s waited on him lie sent for tlie police at the Town Hull ai the beginning of the pi/seiit industrial trouble. The unions arc to be congrat.ul.it-d about the enthusiastic way in which they went about canvassing, speaking, and woiking in their own intei-osis for once in a while. I hope that now or-gaiiis-itioiiH have been brought together by tli'-ir common interests they v. ill never rest mi' il the old craft divisions have been broken down and the machinery of industiial organisation installed, the conse.r'.aiive policy of the past thrown asidi and the slogan of the international working-class roared fortli by tlie lustrv lungs of the worhers of New Zealand. International organisation and solidarity, that is dl, comrades, nnd the world is ours. It is very inspiring to note thai so many remits are m from orgnnisatii-ns for tlie I'M,, conference to iustal the machinery of the. Industrial Union. Congratulations! On Sunday v.ech Scott IJonnctt lectured, despite a rainy night, to .1 large audiome, on "Soemlism, tlie Put pit, and the Stage." lie referred r.t the outset to Miss Ada Ward's re-cm-version to the stage from the mf-smii field, and proceeded in his inimitable way to show how the stage as a. moral and i;i lifting factor was rapidly ousting the pulpit Horn public promi'iv-nee. He was heartily amihuided at the elm-o. All will be "delmhtcd to hear tint Comrade Fitzgerald lias improved wonderfully- bilr-lv. and the doctor b- s dodared that Filz. may gradually ■■■-■( back into harness. 1 think the N'->----tinnal Kverutive of the S |\ sheet' •;--*> about secuiiti" 1 his valua't.le services: as Boon as possible. W" lmve cover.',! liovs in Mt. Fd-*n Jail for non-v-gi lialio: 1 - one is the sole support of a mother ami f- ;r children. And we are a democratic country, eh, Air. Myers? Dosn'i'isic, spoliation nnd felon-makim; ;\>r reft-si-i ■■; to fight for your roinii rv wh.-n -■■-1 have to pnv rent lo live in it ITur.-th for the st.ne-<*d.-i '-'PAX W'HF.