British Socialist Party Conference.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 71, 19 July 1912, Page 3

British Socialist Party Conference.

Hyndman on Strikes and . Solidarity.

By TOM BLOODWORTH.

Just rocoivod Wokkkk of April 19, containing' brief report of Socialist Party Coriiorenco. It reads well, and I am pleased to see that M. J. SaVago thinks that good work has boon done. If he is .satisfied —woll, that's a good sign anyway. 1 have, just returned from tho British Socialist Party conference in Manchester, and although I would like to givo a detailed.report of it, and have, in tact*, tried,,to write ono, lam unable to .do, 50..-', l havo heard so much talk, listened to so much argument, and collected so : many notes that I confess I am ' Somewhat confused and can only give a summary of what I saw and heard..

Tlie /conference met in tho- Lesser I l 'roe Tradp.Hall, Manchester, on Saturday, May 25, and sat three days* I was'-.unable to. get tihere until Monday, and so really,only heard tho concluding''part of conference. But what 1 did-hea-r ; and what 1 was able to gather hum delegates convinced mc that the British Socialist Party consists of men who aro not mere followers of loaders, but aro'men who want not only to know what the policy of the party is, but also to understand it and understand also wliyytlic' policy should bo what it is.

This, of course, is good, but somo of the delegates ratlivr carried the thing too far, by defining words and terms and altering the wording of phrases. A good deal'of time that could havo been well spent was wasted in that way.

But there-!—the chairman of the conference ,(H. M. Hyndman) and several others of tho prominent men who were there expressed themselves as satisfied with tho result, and so it is not for vie, a more youth, and ono from the backblocks'forsooth, to sa.y what might have been, and what was.

The British Socialist Party lias had its first annual conference, and as Leonard Hall said at tho maws meeting held after it, has decided that it is both wide enough and wiso enough to embrace the two wings of the proletarian movement, meaning by that the political as well as the industrial activities of tho workers.

At the close of tho conference thai veteran who has boon spoken of as the "Father of tho British Socialist Party," H. M. Hyndman, delivered a speech which it did: mo good to hear. Hyn.lnian —whom comrades in New Zealand

will bo pleased to hear is looking woll and hearty, and-who speaks with a vim and enthusiasm that somo of tho other speakers might copy with advantage —stopped to the front of the platform, and summarised the work of tho conforonoo, describing it as actiy© and vigorous. He also said that tho Socialist party had got to do moro real business in England. They wero not to bo content with listening to lectures, or even with delivering speeches, but woro to get to work with systematic houso to houso propaganda, going out singly or in pairs delivering tho message from door to door, and proving thomsolves by their activities to bo tho worthy successors of thp old Revolutionary Socialist Party. .. 110 said that two things had impressed him —■ ono was tho presonco at tho conforcuoo as a visitor of tho secretary of tho Hungarian Socialist Party, and the other was the number of telegrams and messages they had received,, from all pao-ts of tho world, conveying iraternal greetings, and also expressing the wish that unity would bo established in tho Socialist Party of Britain, ,pnd that tho work of emancipation would go ott wiuh renewed vigor as a consequence. Ono such messago which I heard read was from tho Socialists of Sb'rvia,

Hyndman went on to «ay that as ha waa speaking ono of the greatest t»avolts in the history of Labor in this country was taking place, referring "to tho dock strike, which is progross. Ho put forward a fiiio appeal for industrial solidarity, pointing out that in tho recent strikes it* was only when solidarity failed that the strikes failed. He also put forward a splendid appeal for political activity arid solid Socialist representation in the Houso of Commons, stating that without control of tho political forces the. whole of "tho organised terrorism of this country is against you." ..''

Then tin's working-class champion, who, though now 70 years of ago, yeh resented Doing referred to as an old man, went an to recall some, of tho deeds of tho past, and I fancied I could detiect a quiver in his'voice .as lie spoko of tho Commune and of other scenes of martyrdom for the causn ho loves so well, and for which lie'has done co much. He finished with the 1 words: "Go on with the work, so that those who follow us will look back ami thank us, even as we thaiik Marx and Engels and the others who fought with tliein."

He sat down, and for an instant there was silence—and then sncli a. burst of applause, such eluOring, and such enthusiasm a.s. perhaps even tho Free Trade Hall, that faiuotis place af political rallies, lisi.s seldom seen or hoard. Then came tea at the Clarion Cafe, and the meeting of comrades irom ail parts of Britain, and after tlu,t the demonstration iv t.lio ■ iiig Free Trade Hall!

To-morrow I am going to'_ London, there to see for myself and, for my ■comrades in New Zealand por.er of the transport w-urkors as displayed in this strike, and 1 hope to liito.fi to 2'illett and the others who have w.irked such wonders in organisation/. May 20. -'