CHRISTCHURCH COMMENTS.

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

CHRISTCHURCH COMMENTS.

SociaMsts J-vyfuf— United Labor'tes— Mursi'-inrd and Tramway Electinns —Federation Conference—Militarism. The City of Passive Resistors has settled down to the usual work. All the celebrities returned from the Wcl-

lington conferences with glowing accounts of the wonderful things accomplished. The Socialist delegates aro still going around with a satisiied smile on their laces, and apparently they are pleased with the results of their conference. I asked one of them what ho had up his sleeve, and ho just laughed and said, "Oh, nothing; only wo are getting Hill Haywood and a few like him from America, and I was thinking how busy we. were, going to keep tho Anti-Sosh." I next met the General Secretary, and he was looking pleased. I asked the cause, and I was instantly hailed up for ten shillings towards a . r )0,(¥l!)-shilling fund he had been commanded to gather. The Unity Scheme. Labor Party, and Trades Councils' delegates are also looking pleased, and one and all assured mo that this year's was absolutely the best conference thoy have ever held. 1 remember tho last one was also the best, likewise the one before, and the ono previous to that, and also the ono previous to that I This last one must have been almost perfection. They cannot keep on having the best, every year without reaching that state. I asked why they were looking so happy. "Oh," was tho reply, "we wero just wondering what the Hon. Mr. Ell and the Hon. Russell and Witty and Davey will do for a living now we have decided to capture Parliament by the Unity Scheme." I suggested they might join, also Mr. Massey, and then they could abolish party government altogether. They didn't seem to like the proposition. Ono gentleman, on being interviewed, said the Revolutionary Socialists were also at the Unity Conference, but ho was careful not to mention names. We havo had an election in this city for the position of Mayor and one councillor, but it was as doad as a doornail. There was no Socialist in the field, consequently thero was no lifo. When a Socialist ca.ndidato is running things get lively. Labor Party, Liberal Party, Reform Party aro all united to dish a Socialist. I wish we had run a candidate, this timo; our people could have put forth somo startling stuff. For instance, some time ago we started an agitation to have the fences removed from the public squares. Then our friend, "Pro Bono Publico," and others wrote to the papers and pointed out that this was madness, and that if the fences were removed we would have the unemployed, like Nebuchadnezzar, eating all the grass. Well, the fences have been down for a year now, and tho grass looks neater and nicer than ever. With this example, we could have advocated that the citizens should remove all their fences from their front gardens. There are some pretty gardens in front of some of these houses, and with the fences removed they would make Christchurch a city beautiful. Oh! I know all the objections. Hogs, lions, men and other wild animals would destroy the flowers, but this is only a bogey. In Adelaide they have flower beds in the centro of somo of tho streets, and no one injures thorn. I have seen a crowd of peoplo at our garden fete almost cling hold of one another rather than step on to one of the (lower beds. I have seen a rollicking set of young arabs who wouldn't hesitate to rob an orchard or smash a window go out of their way to avoid stepping on te a flower bed at Wainoni. No; tbe fences ought to come down. Then tho Tramway elections are coming on, and we ought to put Socialists into the field to advocate free trams. Of course, it will give some of our friends tlie jumps for a moment or two, but something must ho forfeited for tho advancement of science, even if it is a nerve or two. I am confident this free tram business will bo in vogue in n few years' time in this city. The influx of motor-cars will foroo the people into making the trams a charge upon the rates. At the present time motor-cars are coming into Canterbury at an enormous rate, and every time a car comes in, so many riders go out of the trams. Those who go out, too, are thoso who have made their money by the very fact of the trams coming in, on account of the great increase in land values and other things. We still havo ripping meetings in the Square and in tho hall—largo attendances and good collections. The message of Socialism was delivered recently by Comrade John Wilson, Comrade Cooke, and Comrade Taylor, of Nelson. Tho people heard them gladly. bocuu.se they hud a message of "hope." To-day the people will listen to anyone talk Socialism because they are beginning to unde; c tand it is their only hope. Iho Oeneial Laborers liave decided to ask the conference of the Eederauon of Labor to appoint an East Coast organiser. The time hay arrived when in: should have, a man going up aud down this coast all tho time. The laborers, tho so-called unskilled workers, want organising badly (I don't lean badly organised). We arc ;-ai it-lied mat wo .shall not get many of ihe highly-skilled m< n, wiio are comnir.nd.iug the top wages, to assist us in raiting the hot tun ilogs, and so we must organise these men to do their own lighting. Ortiat tilings are expected cf that conference. Some of us seriously think the time has arrived when the ivoiker-i of this Dominion should take a hand in this military frame-up. Some serious move ought to be,- taken, and it seems to mc we have two ways open to us. One is r general strike, say, fc,r one week to start ivith, and tho other is a general rush on the bantu and draw all the

money owned by tho workers, claiming bullion, and refusing to accept notes. This would set them thinking a bit, as there is not enough money in tho country to pay tho workers hvo shillings in the pound on the money they are supposed to have in the Post Office Savings Hank alone. Let's do something, or it will tako years to beat this military octopus. —THE VAG.