Organiser's Notes.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 76, 23 August 1912, Page 2

Organiser's Notes.

By E. R. HARTLEY.

Round and About.

AN EXTENSION ENTERPRISE.

CHATTY COMMENT,

After a day's rest., tho Women's Economic Class of Runauga arranged a social of welcome to my wife and self. These good women were kindness personified, and their president (Mrs. McT&ggart) has good reason to be proud of the work done. On tho Sunday night we had a fine meeting in one of the best halls we've sampled in New Zealand. * * * On the Monday my adventures began again. * * * "You'll go up to the Extension on Monday," was said quite cheerfully on the .Saturday afternoon, and I smilingly assented thereto. * * * Oh, Mr. Editor, Sir! I'm a poor elderly man, far from his-home and kindred, with three of the best girls in the world waiting for and wondering how.their Dad is faring 10,000 miles away. 1 hereby give warning to all secretaries and committees that a copy of these notes goes to England weekly, and if ever these said girls come to New Zealand, have your excuses ready to hand, and even then, look out! I've tried excuses on them myself, with varying non-success. Wirra! WirralU they catch Joe Paterson after hearing of the Extension trip, it'll be a case of "Poor Old .Too." .. * * The Monday morning broke with a miserable drizzle. As the morning passed it began to rain. At noon it came heavier, and at 1.30 I met Geo. Hunter at the Bins. « # * George scarcely looks like a man who would take .advantage of an innocent stranger, and his wife recited beautifully at Saturday's social, so off we went along the railway. Of course, there was no engine going up—that would have spoiled the game. On we went, winding in and out as only a New Zealand railway or a politician can wind about. There is a creek with a roadway alongside it for part of the way, lying 20ft, to 30ft, below the railway lines, with glimpses of bush laud and the usual background of hills. So much I saw at starting out, but as we moved forward the wind grew in force and the rain in volume. * * * Before two miles covered the wot was driven in the front of our macintoshes, and I began to -think, like the negro parson, "it was a damp. nasty day." ' Having no leggings, before long the rain streaming from our coats began to find its way through the laceholcs of our boots. * * * By this time the wind had grown to a little, gale. It must be put to the credit. -H" Comrade. George! that after an tfxtra fierce gnat," which brought a shower of stones from trie face of a cliff we were just passing, rattling and pelting us like a volley of small shot, he suggested the wisdom of going back. "How far have we got?" I asked. "Oh, about half-way," was the relpy. "Then it is all one," I said, "back or forward; get on—Forward the Light Brigade!" This meant George; for myself it is a figure of speech. « * • .. The rain was icy cold on our faces and hands. Poor George looked blue, and would have gladly gone back. But, Mr. Editor and friends, I would remark in strictest confidence that 33 years' experience has taught mc that someone who had expected to join the trip to the Extension, but had not even been asked to join the expedition, would probably have snid : "What! You got halfway and then turned back! 'Well!!" i It is the way the word "well" is said ' that does it. One can scarcely think lit means "Well."/' * * « i Under such circumstances, Sir, we ! were bound to go forward. Later I rei membered George's suggestion about j the warm hearths we had left behind i and the suggestion of returning. This i was lucky, otherwise George's wife ! miglit now be a widow. * » « "Half-way!!!!" Sir. these boys have no idea of distance. Three miles along a railway line, at times tripping from sleeper to sleeper, with a strong head wind and a pelting rain, may be four miles; but a million steps (George says 120) groping for ages through tunnels, dark and semi-dark, with mountaineering feats which at CO should earn gold medals and silver cups, make three miles stretch away to illimitable distance. ■ " » "Half-way !!" It was out of consideration for George's youth that I did not slay him and bury him in one of the caves which had been made almost ready for him; but a little consideration of the old query, "What is all the world to a man when his wife is a widow?" caused mc to stay my hand. He is young, but seems likely to learn with eyperience. Then again, he is married, and w.hen his wife tells him of his little mistake T. shall be avenged. * ♦ * These reflections have caused mc to a little over-run the story. Despite the wind and rain we reached the end of the railway, where a short length crosses the creek for the new bins. As George and I stepped manfully—and very wet —on to this bridge the wind grew stronger; and, half-way over, a squall came whistling and shrieking down the hillsides, beating on two figures on the bridge, as if determined to put a stop to Socialist propaganda for at least one day if not more. George stepped off the planks on to some boards below. Seeing him do this, I determined, if the blast grew stronger, to lie down and hold, on with both hands, feet and even eyelids if need be. Anti-Socialist methods are not always fair, and we must do our best to keep our end up. * * « However, as is the case with most anti-Socialist movements, there vyas moro sound and fury about the wind' than real strength. A few minutes later and we were safe in the blacksmith's shop. This was not under a spreading chestnut tree and the gusts of wind made the tin roof rattle and the whole shanty shake as though it would go over into the creek below.

We rested here, hung up our coats to let the streaming water run off, and dried some of the moisture from our legs by the forge fire. It was' here that Comrade Hunter discovered there was some difficulty in getting a lamp or candle to go through the tunnel and hope, which springs eternal in the human breast, began to make i movement within my waistcoat. s « * The first part of the huge bins was just by us, and the incline we could see when across the rails. My guide had pointed out a tunnel far up the hillside, nearly half-way up the incline, where we had to turn in. ». . » Honor bright, Mr. Editor, if there had been no candles I should not have wept. A candle and bottle being forthcoming, and our coats having run themselves dry, my Viking blood asserted itself, and with the spirit of adventure strong within we set off up the steps. Again rude Boreas seemed to object, but clinging tight to the handrail and carefully picking our way across the timber of the incline we gained the tunnel's mouth. < « - We began with a series of sleepers wide apart, making it somewhat of a gymnastic feat to keep up with the candle—or was it the bottle? What a welcome relief it was when the short sleepers were reached. , * * * \ The dim light of the candle made i darkness visible. Slipping, stumbling George nearly lost the bottle and candle by missing his foothold —groping aud gasping, on we went. Far in the distance another light appeared, coming steadily towards us. Judge our surprise when the light reached us to see a young lady, who, with a pleasant "Good afternoon," vanished in the darkness. We had met a fairy; how long _would it be before the gnomes turned up? What about hobgoblins? «. * » This thought had scarcely passed through my mind when Hunter said: "This is where the explosion was, with I two men killed." Agitators have weird experiences at times. Later I learned that the young lady was the school teacher, who goes daily through this tunnel to her duty of teaching the children. Blessii>:s on her sonsie face and brave heart, which takes her daily on her mission against Ignoiance. If a member of Parliament is worth £1100 a year, this young lady should have at least £350. At last the welcome daylight showed at the end of the tunnel, and we found ourselves again in the wind and rain, crossing a bridge over a deep gorge. It had been a steady ascent all the way, with a steeper gradient through the tunnel, and now we seemed quite near some snow-clad hills. When through a second and shortel tunnel 1 was told we were nearly there. A track was pointed out upon the hillside and once on that we should sooi be there. Ah I n * m But, Sir, the track up to the track had been broken, making it necessarj to go further round. It is all verj well to say, "Up here, comrade," but when you have a wet macintosh and the steps—if you can call tree roots, stumps and rocks steps—are at times two to three feet high, it leaves, little breath for the platform. At last, by big lifts and little lifts, as we say in Yorkshire, we reached what proved to be an old timber track. We thei understudied Mons. Blondin, balancing on the rails under penalty of stepping ankle-deep into mud and water. A sudden turn round a corner and we could see houses. What a sigh of relief I gave when Hunter said: "There is where the meeting will be." * # # It was not long before our streaming coats were stretched over chairs and we ourselves, turning round like joints on a spit, were drying in front of a smoky fire. The rain had wet mc right up to the pockets. The steam rose in clouds, but fortunately we kept warm, and the hot fire had nearly dried our clothes when dinner was ready. Two bowls of steaming soup kindled the warmth within and made mc feel at peace with all the world. * » • I have more than once stayed at the Midland Grand at St. Pancras, London, wdien on corporation business, but they never gave mc soup which tasted better than that we had at the Extension. I prefer it to the turtle soup of aldermanie and civic fame. It was soon evident that no one had expected a mere agitator to face such weather, and our meeting suffered thereby. Yet a meeting of 27 undor such circumstances and in such a place was something of a triumph. One man evidently disapproved. When in mswering a question, I referred to the great wealth of coal and said that every mine in the Dominion should be a State mine, this man interjected"They'll soon be worked out." a » ■ » I think everybody present was astonished when 1 quoted from the Government geological survey that in the Grey district there are 636,000,001) tons of coal, and that to the end of 1910 the total output had been 5,939,769 tons. If only six ouii of 636 millions have been got in 25 years, there seems no need for this gentleman or the next to worry about the coal running' out; the third generation may have found out how to utilise electricity properly. * * * I often find such objectors to Socialism. Like Hamlet, they would rather I "bear the ills they have than fly to others they know not of," or, like a man in Bradford 20 years ago, they object to the principle of municipal trams unless you can tell some years in advance exactly what the fares and wages will be. There are such people even yet, but Father Time with his useful scythe makes them fewer each day. * * * One thing about this geological survey—a matter which concerns the future and should havo more than a passing thought from all who wish the country well. We are told that of the 636 million tons of coal, only 150 millions will be got by the present wasteful methods, but that 300 millions would be the result of comraonsense methods. » » • Socialism may seem foolish and impractical to those who don't understand, but what shall we say of a system which allows half, if hot threefourths, of our mineral wealth to be wasted for the benefit of a few idlers in London? *' • . Don't, you New Zealanders, native or imported, dream that your coal —that is, your native land at so much per ton —would be got for your use if there were not profit for the idle shareholders ■in London? They would soon cut off your coal supplies. * * * I am glad we went to the Extension; it will be one more chapter added to my varied experiences, and boys will have no excuse for not going to places where a veteran has been.

Tuesday wo went to Dunollie, which was nearer my lodgings than the Miners' Hall. * '• ■ • "Wednesday, a welcome night off, foT though I love the platform, too much of it makes one a bit stale. * * Thursday we drove to Taylorville, and our fiery grey landed us back a little before midnight. It was a poor-ly-attended meeting, but 1 had :. oraek with an old Br.-idfordian who has not seen it for 44 years. * * * I'm told that a second visit to Taylorville would draw a big crowd, but it is a long, cold drive. * * * Friday night I gave a Book Talk in the Miners' Hall and enjoyed myself, as did the audience. I gave the "yel-low-backs" a thorough slating. Why. should people waste time on piffle when the best hooks in the world can be got for Is. per * oliimc in the wonderful Everyman series? In every community of 10 houses there there should he a hook club. For 10s eacli 100 books could be got, and if every subscriber selected ten books there would he a hundred different books, which would not be worn out v if even; book were read ten times over. Good books are, next to good women, the best things in life. -* * . A young man or young woman who cultivates a taste for reading will get treasures which can never be taken away. The rich mines of the wisdom of the past are never-failing .in their supply of rich, pure gold. Sprtietimes we lind it in big chunks, and even when it only liivcs a faint line of color round the edge of the pan it is certain to be of a paying kind. There are few things in life equal to a good book, and a love of books is a neverfailing source of delight. * *" # Saturday night found me' having a spell of "story-telling." The"Frenchman was enjoyed, but "Sarah at'the Play" was the pick of the bunch. "The Wreath" made a good impression, but there is sorrow enough in the world for everybody, and one of the best helps in life is a good laugh. The lady at the front laughed until she cried. ? * • Sunday we invaded Cobden, and had a good meeting. Questions were good and to the point, though one gentleman was a bit too anxious to have a complete scheme laid out. Socialism is not a scheme; it is a principle and a theory which if applied would bring its own working along with it as a matter of course. If drawing up schemes were all, Socialism would be. an easy task for the speakers. You see, noliody could contradict us whatever we said : they know no more of the future than wo do. Let all those who are anxious about the future remember that Socialism could not possibly be worse for the working-classes than the present system is now. * * * Sunday night we went back to Runanga, the Greymouth City Fathers having decided not to allow us to have the Town Hall for a meeting on the Sunday night. „ « a This wa3 only a moderate meeti«ig> most of the people thinking we were in Greymouth. Our advertisers must do better than this. People seldom turn up to a meeting if they don't know there is one. This proved true at Greymouth. On the Monday night there was no advertisement and no audience. * • • Tuesday we went to Blackball. The Blackball Coal Co. was formed in 1886, getting a leaso of 21 years for 1914 acres of land. This was sold to the Midland Railway Co., and they in turn sold it to Sir Edwin Dawes,' whose re- - presentativo.s lease it to the present company. I am told that the Baronet —who lives in London —has Is. a ton royalty on every ton got out. And he lives in London I If there was an explosion and half the miners were killed it would not even singe, his whiskers or his royalties.