SOME GOOD ADDRESSES.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 83, 11 October 1912, Page 5

SOME GOOD ADDRESSES.

The Miners' Hall was packed on Sunday night week with a most enthusiastic audience to listen to Messrs. P. Fraser, J. McDonald, C. Smith, and W. Richards deliver addresses on the present industrial crisis.

Mr. H. KENNEDY occupied the chair, and briefly introduced the speakers. !

Mr. Peter FBASER dealt with the blind alleys that had so often been used to side-track the workers, and which, he contended, were as numerous as the seats in the hall. Co-opera-tion was a decided failure from the viewpoint of an Industrial Unionist. Religious discussion, along with parliamentarianism, had done more to sidetrack the workers than anything else. It was doubly dangerous because it was indulged in by those who ought to know better. Parliamentarianism was such a fallacious theory that it was rapidly being discarded by the workers. , It was the worst of the side channels. It led the workers to believe that they must, rely on "loaders" and not on themselves.

Mr. Jack McDONALD made his first appearance as a Labor agitator, and acquitted himself remarkably well. He said. that< the spirit of Industrial' Unionism was growing splendidly, not only in Waihi, but in New Zealand. Tho capitalists of the world to-day had made it possible for the workers of the world to organise into One Big Union. As far as beating the masters was concerned, the workers could always beat them, but it was their own class that continually came to the masters' aid and turned victory for the workers into defeat. Speaking of the local fight, he declared that it was the greatest Labor fight in the Southern Hemisphere. Tho eyes of the whole Australasian colonies were upon Waihi at the present time, and he felt sure that the workers of Waihi had every reason to be proud of their part in the fight. Mr. C. SMITH briefly reviewed the police proceedings, the Auckland demonstrations in protest against the jailing of the strikers, and the position generally. Mr. W. RICHARDS said the beginning of the militant workers' education must be the recognition of the class struggle. That was the basis of the unionism of to-day. The misery and exploitation that existed to-day was caused simply because one class owned tho means of life of the other class. The capitalist to-day, like the wageearner, was the, product of a vile system. It was no use individualising capitalists; the system that caused some to bo masters and the majority to be slaves must be destroyed first. As far | as the Waihi strike was concerned, the Massey Government, at the. bidding of the master-class, had strengthened, unconsciously, the position of the strikers by jailing 4<5 of their fellow-workers. Speaking of parliaments, he said those who owned economic power owned and controlled the Government. The workers must organise their economic power and then all else will follow. He was nrouder of the port he had taken in the present strike than any other act he had ever done in his life.

Mr. RICHARDS also related several amusing instances in connection with the recent visit, of delegates to the Thames. The Thames miners heartily support the Waihi strike, the. discordant note coming from the business people who are members of the Thames Union, and not the miners. He believed with a little more agitation the Thames Union would throw in its lot with their more militant workers and join the Federation of Labor and divorce themselves entirely from the chloroforming shackles of Arbitration Courts. Each speaker was listened to most attentively, and the audience showed their appreciation cf the addresses in *a most emphatic manner. Union Meeting. A meeting of the Waihi Workers' Union was held on Wednesday, September 20. The meeting appointed Mr. Herb. Kennedy paid Mr. Wesley Richards as president and vice-president respectively in the forced absence cf Messrs. Parry and MoLennan. Mr. Wesley Richards briefly referred to tho rumors in circulation to tho effect that his party was going to work on October _. He, gave this an emphatic denial and stated he was propared to sacrifice everything and any-

thing in order to win the strike. He could only account for the.rumor by the fact that his party had about the best contract in the Waihi mini. Mr. W. Thompson, a member of the largest party on the field; also replied to the allegations concerning his party. None of them had the slightest intention of returning to work. He was quite satisfied that the companies were undergoing the last dying flutter, and were relying on sheer bluff. Mr. Chas. Smith then gave a detailed account of the week-end proceedings in Auckland, which was received in a most enthusiastic manner by the large meeting. The meeting closed with three ringing cheers for the Federation. At the Thames. Messrs. Kennedy, Eichards and Smith were instructed by the strike committee to proceed to the Thames and give open-air addresses on the court proceedings, and also to prevent any Thames miners from being enticed into Waihi on an occupation of scabbery. The meeting was a most successful one, even old Thames miners joining in saying that it was the most successful industrial propaganda meeting ever held there. For over three hours the crowd listened to the three speakers in a most attentive manner and quite a number of questions were asked at the. conclusion. It is quite clear that the Thames miners are rapidly coming to the front, and when further meetings have been held and the good seed planted we may yet see the Thames Miners' Union taking its place with all the other miners' unions of New Zealand in the ranks of the Federation. One of the first propositions that has to be overcome, however, is the abolishing of this honorary member business. Nearly all the Thames business people are members of the Miners' Union! Is it any wonder that Industrial Unionism is not desired by that section? However, brighter days are ahead of Thames. It wants plenty of agitators pouring the, message in. even at the risk of "making mischief"—for the master-class. Stalwart Drivers v. Scabs. Resolution passed by the Waihi enginedrivers who are members of the Waihi Workers'' Union at a. recent meeting:—"That we, the engine-drivers and firemen members of the Waihi Workers' Union at. a special meeting protest against the unjustifiable action of the Government in sending police to Waihi and Waikino, for the purpose of harassing the members of our union now on strike. We further condemn the.traitorous action of the scab engme-drivers, in giving evidence which sent our fel-low-workers to jail, as the most despicable and damnable in the history of Australasian industrial warfare." Cancelled Contracts. The gold-mining company's executive has made the following statement: "Where contractors have left quantities of ore- already broken in stopes, passes, or shrinkage blocks, the company will have the same carefully tallied as it is required and got out, and credit will be given to the different parties for all such ore. There is no idea of forfeiting any' more than deposits and percentages under, the provisions of the contracts. Of course, it will take time, to ascertain exactly what quantities have been left, and payments can only be made at future periods after the ore has actually been delivered at the surface and stopes" properly filled where necessary. The whole costs of carrying out such work to truck ore, fill stopes, etc., will be debited against* the contractor before settlement is finally made.—Charles Rhodes, local director." Copy of Notification. Waihi, Sept. 23, 1912. To Mr. C. W. Leech. Sir, —With regard to the contract dated the 16th day of October, 1911, No. 2589, between W. Martin and party and the Waihi Goldmining Company, Ltd., and with reference to the carrying out of the work under such contract and to your neglect for a period of now over 16 weeks to man and work such contract in accordance with the terms thereof, I now, on behalf of the company, give you special notice that the mine will be open for the usual and ordinary work on Wednesday, the 2nd day of October, 1912, at the hour of 8 a.m., and that you are hereby required at such time and place to continue, the work under your contract and to carry out the same without any further neglect or delay on your part, and you are hereby distinctly informed and warned that if on such date you are not prepared to go on with such contract in the manner required by the specifications aud clauses and conditions thereof, and do not on or before such date give to the company any reasonable and valid excuse for such inability on your part, then the company will not wait any longer for the performance of such contract, but. same will thereupon be cancelled, so that other men may be employed to carry on the ordinary work of the mine.—l

am, yours, etc.,

H. P. BARRY, Superintendent W.G.M. Co., Ltd.