THE-COMMONWEAL

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 67, 21 June 1912, Page 4

THE-COMMONWEAL

' The Organ o< [he M.L Sootoi;*! Car'/.

Organiser's Notes.

By E. R. HARTLEY

|f<nv c-ivilv hi. i «;'.n li.«.k en oilier peoples imuM.s. It \v;,s Mas tor Will who read (Km tho pa.K'is: ".Much rain ami heavy m:,s on the West. Coast." I listened, 'tint f.-.iir,] to e»i<-!; :iry si<2(.N'slidK (if n (•!::;'■!;'". He- apparently foi-.L'!' , . thai i- 1 :.t da. l would *<■<■ us on the .Mapourikfi <m <"ir way Id Wnst-p(i-L We set (i,il vvi:.ii triidit sunslii.:<\ Ira; a Lm-ii. c ( ,M aii.d. what yon infill call a diarify " ir.<i. cool, fcarohinu and wlkii the sunshine laded or \\:\< obscured. Ai duak ii. drove us below, and we jfliiu-il -tli*- early to bed leajlUO. Sunny \fl-'.,i, ,-,;;■- i. (ionli"!if Nelson and a slay of six hours, n.iduivjh!, to (! a.m.. did i:or allow u< to call on our friend*. Melanchoh iiKH.nlijilii. p;lit-t<-rill«_r atid mi ihe sen., srt mc tliinkiii;: of home and t.lir dear ones there. Vint. Mnrphe-.is kir.dty wrapped mc in lii* cosy arms and when T waked w< , «< re well nut. in Tasnmn Bay. I'asi 1 wonderful TViulder Rank : then past tin , equally wor.derlnl sslndspit and ill" ILdifhoii'' , . round Farewell Point, wli■■■!■(■ iif had a. view of <*nme fioor] <!i!F «eenery. The wind freshened, p. ml the deck? were soon cleared, heavy rain driving us all inside or below. For a while voiors nrif»lit. he heard 'ii brisk niwl sonnMvh.it loud disonssion. and oiio was j/!ad to find th*» most animated Kronp wtu- whore Socialism and i ho Fi deration of }.;ihr,r was tlio topic. Ono man assorted !k luirw what w«'n» alter: ''Vim want the country dominated and manaqrd by your Somplos. , your \Vrbbs. and tl;o otho.r traoVa union loadors." Th<- answer was ipioxpociod: "Yosl That is what we wart. 'I'bon tho country will bo dominated and inanr.ftt'd for tho boTicl'il of iho w«ir:-:<TS." Tt. was a elrp.ii kn<H'k-out. Tiiis man. like numerous other people, knd never thought of :v country managed for the beiK'lil of the working-class. It is a bit srartliuji! \V<' have h<-en w used to things beiny manaued for idle and uspl(>vs kirms and priests, then for idlo and iiM'h'SS aristocrats. ;>fl.<rwards for (Miiployors and capitalists, who are rapidly outizroiviiiL; their usefulness, and iiiam - of whom io-dny are worse than usrWs. that Ihe tliat the only people who are of any use. and who are at all necessary for the upkeep of Ihe world, should To demand that they shall be e<>i:<-iderrd and managed for tVnir lienefit takes the iiroalh out of |K-rs<uis who have let out llioir thinkiii!: to those whoso interests aro in favor of tlie management boina; by tho idl'-rs for the benefit of tlio idlers. Tho p s reaf. change is corniEg fast, and the more people think thro.nicker it will be. After this the discussions, trrow quieter, and tho disputants" voices were hushed, whether by the str<n<ith of the arguments or the tossinp of tho waves cannot, be said, but few turned up for luncheon. \Wtpoti is a bar lia.ibor. and after Hi hours' sail from Nelson we found ourselves fioinic round in a sort of circle. for the tide, t-o float us over the bar. This, set; iuo thinking of the good ship Socialism, so finely fitted out. so well (.quipped, bearing the Hope of Humanity, but waiting the full tide of public opinion io float it over the bar of capitalism. When that flood tide shall be educated to the point of understanding, our good ship "ill speed over the bar. carrying ]>ea<<\ happiness and plenty to all mankind. ]Uay the seeds oi Education be seattored"everywhere, may they fall into the soil of Truth, be watered and fed with the. rains of Intelligence, warmed by the sunshine of determination and Love, and sheltered by the wails of Tolerance. Then shall <.\v.- be abundant and sure. The demon *■ t" pri.vr.te ownership is strong in Westpoi/t. and the land sharks' work in evidence everywhere. Now Zealand for tho New Ze;t!ando!s. forsooth, and :mc! are everywhere waitiing to make the New /oalandcrs buy their native lands at ten times i.hoir ro.al value. A plot of land was pointed out to mc, for which tlio owner gave !£fi, and to-day ho refuses to Vt it ■be mod unless someone will him CKIOO for the privilege. We are having expeiienc<-?. ai;t] alln 11 havo no reason to complain «f tlip lack of work. An "advt." in tin: p.ipe.r tells 1 mc el 14 days ; pr«gramin<i. with iiKetinge every night, and as 1 know at ; kast one of tho. place.s will have two ' weetings en tho Sunday, this w>ll meuw 1 15 nr 1C meetings in 14 days. This i* ! all light for a snell, but if it rat; for :»

iii(!!iih or iwo, your organiser would be aMtr.it used uj). l''ivc meetings a week is abundance. Travelling in New Zoaiand is ii In'i. wearying Id one who saw his - f )7tli birthday a low weeks ngu. Steady, boys. I'Yoiii West port in' went by tin in to (!r::nily. A cunin-de iiict us there, and, Uliinji i;v ilia low iUμ; to a landslip it i was impossible I «•!■ t iv-> trap to meet us. walking. I asltcd could we wild for the bajj's. Fie said: "Oil, I'll or, !•;•', the bii; bag. II is only about two miles." Mr. Kditor. Sir! Cornrrules and friends! Two miles!! We were nearly two hours. Two niile's!!! It seonK'd like 200. ion, you sny. IVrhnp«. Hut two itiili's and it took two hours. Oh, yos. I know, a nip; and two nvf-rcoats, a handbag full of books and notes, and a winding road that *>vor asc<Mided liearcnwards. witli tlio bn.miT. warm sui , . h< , a tiny; on us. made it warm 'work, not to say hot. Tint lifo brings its own eotiinen.eations. and the beauty of the walk and. kivelv views of the soa and the liillf* of all shades and .shapes, rriivde us sifc down ajjain and to rest and enjoy oiirselvos. Conir<i(lo A lock never swinei] lo tire, and swunp: on bravely witii ■fho hay. "I'm youin; and utrong," ho v.aid. and be needed to be. Whinv! It was warm. But it was delightful. Ro'v plos'iuiis the magnilicent ferns, the of v\f\v. the- sea liko- a jjjrf'ai- sheet of bnrnislied silver, the

blue haze covering the bills with magic, the steady ascent, at times seem ing to lead straight inland, then fiiddenly turning seawards, and at points looking as tiiough wo should leap out to the daxzling blue sea, for it seemed till we got close to thu turn to come to an abrupt ending. Then we saw a house far up aliove. reached it, and turning a. corner, came upon several others, and at last into tlio main street of Millerton. Oh! bhat main street—muddy and stony, winding in and out to cross the streams from the hills above, for wo vwre not at the, top; but friend A lock said: "Here is Comrade Lawn coming to meet Ufi,' J and our host speedily lightened our burdens, arid a few minutes found us being warmly welcomed and the cup that cheers Rowing fast and free. Oh., sir! Such stores, ah ! }li!!crt(in i° .1 typical mining town. aiTiinged 011 the usual principle that a!! the woi'ldng-dagßes is plenty of work. wHlt just sufficient food and shelter to k*-ep the workers going. All the luxuries 4.1 ]ifo arc rcwrvwl for t>h<' shai^lwjkU'Tg. But tlie !<!!owKl,ip cf the Socialist movement i« <-verywhere, and we met it <:&y)y uf Mjl'eitcji. "We know Lot what's before us; What trials ;*r& te <iom«>." And I'm Av<;nrl«a-ig what next? for whe?i we h}>cak to tke eonwadfi* of our climb, they stay: '-Ha.v.« you been to D«jii»if?te,n?' : Yihea we »a.y "No," they sny |,f Ah! : ' ■ T wonder what my rnfo wilt *»y when, we go there t