DOMINION DOINGS

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 66, 14 June 1912, Page 10

DOMINION DOINGS

AUCKLAND ACTIVITIES. "Bathing Towel"—Local Unions -«nd Waihi Strike— Neutrality of Tramwaymen— Notes. Things are fairly quiet in Aucklavid just now. We have had a visit from "Bathing Towel" — be- pardon, Baden-Powell, the beloved el the master-class. I notice that in Sydney our friend of the newspaper reputation ■aid thai the scout theory oi his would fee the righi lliing for the reclamation ©f loafers, \\cll, B-P., you know, or ought to know, that charity begins at Borne, bo why not start to reclaim yourself? And if you want opportunities in that line you can have half "Spanwire's" slnil collecting train fares, and thus become quite a respectable, useful citizen, and eventually graduate into a unity schemer. There was a big fuss at the i)omain. when the 8.-I\ person insjweted the Budding murderers of the future, and, oi course, all the uaiccst people and wry best class were present, and talking* about that line fellow, the "Defender of Matching." Now. I am not greatly shook upon 8.-P. and his defence or the iron town in Bochuanaland. for in my soldier days I met men who Bad served under him, and the tales sbey told were not much in his favor. Anyway, he gets tho credit of delending a small town against a lot of cocky 'farmers, whilst the men who Botc the brunt of that memorable siege arc selling matches in the streets of §h© big towns of Britain, lying rotting jn pauper graveyards, walking th« streets looking for work denied them by tho patriotic British boss, and ultimately dying the death of workingclass patriotism in the workhouse hospitals. The glory of it all I Men maimed and scarred, legless and armless, dragging out a living death in their own inhospitable country, and the arms, guns, etc., that inflicted those wounds wero exported by the patriotic British bosses to their enemies, the cocky farmers of South Africa. Well do we, who understand, ask: "How long, 0 Lord, how long?" The day is rapidly coming when the 8.-P. type will be shunned and despised for the parasites and loafers that they are. And working-class parents will do well to keep their children away from the unscrupulous followers of the scout law, Blatant jingoism, Imperialism, and all «ther signs of a reactionary militarist spirit, which is contrary to "Pence on. earth, goodwill to men," and to tho international solidarity of tho human race. "Obey your masters," saith tho scout law. That is a good training for m working-class child, and will bring B£at shorter hours and emancipation— 1 don't think 1 In regard to the industrial situation in Auckland, there seems to be a good deal of discussion re the Waihi strike. Tho watersiders considered the levy too high, but forwarded £150, and are taking up voluntary contributions every week. There, arc a few growlers against it, but very few. Tho general laborers at their meeting solidly declared for the 10 per cent, levy and congratulated Mr. Parry and nis Union upon their action. Bravo, laborers! You have my hearty congratulations. Well may your officials be proud of you. You are not afraid to fight, nor to pay to fight, a workingclass battle. And tho tramways have decided to (remain neutral, and before prying a levy of 2s. per week to take a ballot about it. This Union has fallen from greatness. After milking tho Federation all it can, it decides to remain neutral in a general strike; that is fo sny. that it the Watersiders' Union is out on strike, the tramwaymen will carry blackleg labor on the cars to take the Jumpers' places. Tramwaymen of Auckland 1 there is no nnihal position ip. a fight between organised Labor and organised Capital. You must fight for the worker or for the boss—there is bo fence to sit on, the option is classeonscious solidarity or organised soabbery (you bar I lie, word) or blaokhgging. You have decided for the latter, and if you carry it out well may your name, once so honored as fighters, stink in the nostrils of every militant unionist in New Zealand. But, Mr. \Voi»Kmt, there are a band of stalwarts >n the same Union who will fight and educate, as of yore, and between this force, militant though small, and the force of the rapidly-developing capitalist system, with its sell-educative work, the Tramway Union will yet be made a fighting army and r.c!: a weakkneed, vacillating mob who, like the Judoans of old, worship a man or an organisation one week and crucify " in. er it tho next. One Iramwayinaii. and a pniiy v, !-.■.• one, said to mo: "Xover mii.d industrial organisation, political action is the only way. Your own ii,< mhi :s in the House legislate and law-make, ami reforms will come by your power in Parliament and a revclutic n liv-ai dbye." "Well" said 1, "«.-..!r,./ tiei i"')>> cal action is the only thing 'hat car, win. why, in the name of conscience. were unions ever brought into existence at all, and why do you still continv.e to adhere to them?" You see, Mr W'oukl'ii, he makes ilie usual mistake in omitting economic power, which alone can compel, by teaion of its organised might, reforms now. lavs now, improvements now, md then afterwards, by the growing tducation, a revolution in the owner-

SPECIAL REPORTS OF THE MOVEMENT IN THE CEOTRES

ship and control of the machinery ol production and the hind, Nature's own gift to a!! men, whence ah wealth springs. Bravo! Knuinedrivers' Union of Auckland, for the result of your ballot on the question of admitting firemen. Now we shall sec what the bogus union of Waihi will do. Scott Bennett addressed a large meeting at the Opera House on Sunday, June 2, on "The Origin of the Clergy,'' when he dealt with the forces which brought into existence the forerunners of oho superstition-mongers of to-day. By the way, Dean llackett, of Paeroa, has objected to our Sunday night meetings, which, analysed by the exponents of intellectual freedom, ought to be considered a very high compliment. Mr. Paul Richardson, of the Tramways Union, arrived up here on business from the F.L. Conference, and 1 learned from him that the assemblage of delegates at Wellington was a very line one', that the men seated in conclave rivctted his attention by their masterly knowledge of the industrial situations and the problems attached thereto; in short, it was a conference of men who know what they want and how to get it. Bravo! F.L., for adopting tho machinery of the I.W.W. Auckland militants are all jublant. That is the most cheering news of all. Go in and win. Hero's to tho Day.-SPANWIIIE. DENNISTON NEWS A Memorable Meeting—Attempt to Rescind "Worker" ContributionClerical Influence at Work—Priest v. Paper.—"Worker" on Top. There como moments in the existence of every man when life is really worth living, and when one feels that all one's efforts have not gone for nothing. As the wealth-producers of Dcnniston emerged from the darkness of tho mines on Monday, May 27, they were confronted by a Union notice intimating that 6omo 20 members of the Union desired to escape paying their contribution to Tjik Maoiuland Woiikkh, and calling for a meeting on the following evening to consider the proposal. Had tho signatories been merely persons who desired to escape payment of a paltry 3d. per week, their action might have been passed over lightly, but such was not the ease. In view of the fact that a Itedomptorist priest preached a sermon a week or so previously, roundly condemning the working-class movement and (so it was reported in the local paper) the organ of the N.Z.F.L., many amongst us began to "see through" the move. Comrades Hunter and Callaghan, therefore, decided to remain from work next morning and address the workers at the two mines—Hunter at tho Cascade and Callaghan at tho Iron Bridge —with a view to bringing them to see tho subtlety of the attack on liberty which lay hidden behind the innocent notice. Six or seven minutes' straight talk soon convinced the majority thatsomething was at stake, and the sentiments expressed by tile speakers were heartily endorsed by those men in pit clothes. At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 28, it was evident to the densest person that ho was about to witness tho largest meeting of Dcnniston workers which has assembled on this hill, and by 7.15 (tho advertised time) the commodious Dcnniston hall was packed. When the chairman took tho chair all was at high tension. Then he called on the conveners to explain their case. Well, their effort was truly pitiable, and it certainly is a tribute to the patience of tho workers here that they allowed them to finish their poor attempt at explaining their action. Thoy (tho conveners) wanted a paper with some "commercial news," "sporiing news," "general news," "Labor notes," "reports of tho state of the, Labor market"—in short, everything that does not matter, and would not hurt the tender feelincs of their masters. Would you believe, Mr 'fAIUr. that those people wore not in their cooler moments, willing to come to the real motive behind their "little move?" No; but when Hunter and Callaghan got to work and exposed their nefarious designs, the people, then witnessed a display of intolerance w.-U worthy of any ecclesiastical body. Yes, it was then they showed their hand. After some argument they moved a motion that a mine-mouth ballot be, taken on the proposal to rescind the motion standing on the hooks pledging every member to subscribe to Tin-: Woi!in:it. On a divi'-ioii being taken, fully 1301) members came fiver like a tidal wave to the side of the hall where the "Worki-riics"' were, some 20 or .10 remaining on the other side. Cheers were then uiu-n for the Bi volution, etc., etc. Quietness lieine: re-''iii'!. tho Chairman l Vie.-President lleean) called for a show of hands as to whether a ballot should be taken in 1h« hall. A tremendous majority voted in favor of not wasting valuable time with a ballot, but an obsolete rub- ol' iho Union says that a- ballot shall be taken if ]f) members so desire. Our "fiends" took relugo under the nil-, and the ballot u;;p taken. During the proceedings a huge number of members who were in favor of the paper, and saw that it was perfectly safe, retired to their homes, so that only 252 or so were left to decide the quest ion. Result: For

continuing our support, 241; against, 41; majority, 200. An idea has, unfortunately, got about that it was a case of one religious sect against another, but it was nothing of the kind. It was the working-class versus the advice of a priest. Another fact which must not bo lost sight of is that the vast and overwhelming majority of Catholics voted with us on the issue, because" it is obvious to the blindest that if the. Catholics had voted against us in a boely tho minority would have been much greater. Fully two-thirds of the minority were nonCatholics. Tho majority of Catholics here lake second placo to none in their support, of the Federation and tho paper. They take their religion from their church, but their views of working-class solidarity are expounded by the organ of tho' N.Z.F.L., The Alaoiwoand Wouker, of which wo are all so proud. However, fellow-workers, you will all agree that our majority for true unity is decisive enough to prevent the serpents of sectionalism and sectarianism ever showing their heads on this hill again. During the meeting cheers were given for the Involution, WoitKi'.n, the Red, and the Federation. Heads were bared in respectful remembrance of that victim of clerical vengeance, Francesco Ferrer. Ah, workers, we on Dcnniston are beginning to know our friends and the movement that tends to our emancipation. Yes; and we are beginning to recognise our oneniioH, whether they wear broadcloth, khaki, or moleskins. Wo live in an age, of great things, and we are going to take a hand in tho game. Y r os. Truly it was a memorable day', that 28th of May, 1912—a day worth living for, a day to be remembered by tho class-conscious.— TOlLEß.