Organiser's Notes.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 69, 5 July 1912, Page 4

Organiser's Notes.

By E. R. HARTLEY.

Millerton was all right-- when yon got there. The meeting were good, especially on tlic Sunday. I wish the halls were a little wanner. I ear. never feel quite comfortable when the audience are cold, and 1 speak best when J feel comfortable. Will the boys take a bint? An soon as the meeting begins shut the doors. A cold draught will spoil the best arjiumont. * * » I liked Millerton. The weather was kind to us, giving us one wet morning out of four days. There is room for improvement in the Millerton roads. A band ol 20 or 30 young men who would give three or four hours a week to making a footway on the side of each road would earn the gratitude of all citizens. The Passive Resistors' League has every youth in Millerton as a member. If they would go out twice a week, armed with picks, shovels, and barrows, they would have a fine excuse to offer the magistrates. They .could say: "I'm quite prepared to serve the community, but not in training for murder." 'Twouid l»a line work, boys. Got to it. * * From Millerton to Ngakawau, otherwise Stockton. I looked round on our arrival, and wondered where the audience was to come from. A friend thought we might get a dozen or twenty at the meeting. Judge my delight when over a hundred were present. We had three meetings, and on the third evening it rained. West Coast rain, you understand! We reached the hail without swimming, and 35 people turned up, one a lady. 1 talked my very best, shouting for half an hour in competition with heavy rain on a tin roof. The blessed relief when the rain ceased only a speaker can appreciate. * * » We went up to the mine. Notice "up." In England you go down for coal. In New Zealand you go up. A long series of stairs up to the bins, passing through a tunnel in a coal truck. A long, stiff climb, with beautiful bush on each side, up what seems an almost never-ending incline. Reaching the top, we found an electric railway, and getting an old sack, seated ourselves at tho front of the engine. We were soon spinning along through scenery not unlike some of the Yorkshire moorlands. Our engine must have been a member of the Employer*' Iteration, or ai.-least friendly thereto, for there was a v|>tu:oring noise, a vivid (lame, and th" lining of a wire pulled us up slu'i-p. "No bonus this month, Sandy," said the bra km:.-! n. and nl'trr an effort at repairs, it was found that the train must go back down the grade, and we got off and walked forward, through more tunnels, till we reached a line gorge, where we made short work of our sandwiches and apples. After a look round, we set olf back, this time climbing the hills and going over the tunnels. "j"w;is a fine, enjoyable time, but we, were glad to strike a motor, and on reaching che top of the incline clambered down. Oh! my old knees. They'll be stiff for days. Next day we found .young Dan was stiffer than we old folks, and we've walked on our heels ever since. x- * * It was a line trip, but I don't think we shall go up and live in Tin Town, at least not while tho secretary of the Blanket Fund at C'hristchuroh tells us that coal is His. id. per ton, and in the same paper the manager of the Westport Coal Company tells us that aJI the amount, paid to the v.wkers at the pit is ss. 7{d. The wicked miners they get ss. 7.U1. and the householder only pays 345. 4d. Mr. Joachim tells us that the increase paid to labor—all the labor—including freight and haulage, has gone, up Is. 8. J ,d. in tho la.st five years. Tho lady at Christchurch says the price has gone up ss. lOd. in ,four years. This means Is. Bd. to the workers and -Is. 2d. to tho shirkers. No wonder the general public objects to the workers getting an advance. If tile workers get Is., someone else takes 3s. I'm noi going to be a collier until ithis is altered. From Stockton we went to Seddonvillo, where a number of comrades met ■us at the station, and conducted us to one of the most comfortable hotels we'vo yet struck. After a chat we had a real good meeting. There wore some : good questions and some funny onesOne friend was greatly concerned about State Socialism. There is only iono Socialism. This means, that all the •land and capital shall bo, owned, used, 'and controlled for the good of the whole ; coniinnnity. There are many things to-day owned by the community and imanaged; by, the capitalist class, who arc elected by the workers. They are

managed and used for the benefit of the capitalist class. This is what is often called Stato Socialism It is not Socialism at all. It is collective ownership, with capitalist government. Democratic administration would make it Socialism. » • * From Seddonville I went to To Kuhn, where ii good meeting was .held, though somewhat tew in numbers. Good questions again. * * * Saturday and Sunday, June 15 and 1G ? at West-port, but on Saturday the ram fell in torrents all day, and the meeting was abandoned. On Sunday evening we had an excellent meeting in the Theatre Royal, and many who came to scoff heard more sensible suggestions than they deemed it possible to hear. At least, so a man told mc in the street next morning. Said he: "I never dreamed Socialism could be half so sensible." • • ■ On Monday morning we had a good meeting in the shed by the wharf. The waterside men are very solid, though I was told Father CVeagh had been there warning them against tho Socialists. I wish theso priests and parsons would leave us alone. Under Socialism men will bo free to follow whatever religion they believe truest and best. If they leave us alone, we shall leave them alone. If not- ——