Mills at Dunedin

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 87, 8 November 1912, Page 8

Mills at Dunedin

BRUSH WITH STEVE BOREHAM AND M. SILVERSTONE.

WILL NOT SPEAK IF INTERJEC-

TIONS PERMITTED

W. T. Mills was in Dunedin on October 24. Considering his former popularity, his meeting was a poor one, about 350 being present—that is putting it high. His style and delivery wore not so good as before, and he certainly did not impress his audience as on former occasions.

At the outset he made a terrible exhibition of himself. Mr. S. BoTeham made an almost inaudible interjection. At once W.T.M. said that the meeting was ids, and he would not be interrupted, and unless Mr. Boreham withdrew he would not go on with his lecture—and sat down. He also said that there seemed to be a determined effort wherever he went to interrupt and prevent him From speaking. He sat there about seven minutes and would not go on with his lecture.

Mr. Boreham said rightly that he did not interrupt, and would not leave unless he was put out. Mills, then stood up and made some explanation that amounted to a retreat from his autocratic decision, and Mr. Boreham promised not to interrupt again. Fearing that the chairman might rule that an interjection was permissible. Mills said that the chairman could rule that way, but he could not rule that he was to speak.

Mark Silverstone challenged Mills re accusing Sempld, Webb, etc., of being anarchists aud on the attitude of the'U.L.P. re the strikers, and also suppressing criticism in his Labor Page. He published one sentence of a letter sent him in reply to an attack on tho Waihi miners and published Silverstone's name without his permission.

In his reply, Mills said that Semple, etc., were anarchists seeing they believed in direct action; also said the U.L.P. was not responsible for what the trades councils did. ■ Re the letter, he said that the name was signed, so he published it. Silverstone at once challenged him on that point, and he then admitted' that for the sake-of argument, as he put it, he used the signature. This finished the first meeting inDunedin at which Mills met with opposition of a nature he did not relish. His star is waning.—EYE-WITNESS. The Dunedin "Star" thus chronicles the above happenings:— Walter Thomas Mills, one of the most luminous personalities engaged in Labor's hydra-headed emprise upon Capital, spoke for tho United Labor Party in the Art Gallery Hall. His first announcement was that he intended to stay here until the workers of New Zealand governed New Zealand on behalf of the workers. Mr. Steve Bojreham, in the front seats, shook his head. "It wfll be a long time," quoth he. Mr Mills seemed to take this harmless 'interjection Very seriously; for, with the remark "We will begin now by governing this meeting, and until the interjector leaves the hall I will not speak," ho sat down. Mr. Boreham promised to be good, wliile obviously puzzled to see where he had been bad; and his opinion was reinforced by another perßon, who cried: "Do you think it discourteous to interject: it is a way we have in New Zealand." After that Mr. Mills had! & free hand for his oratory, but ho had a little altercation when questions were invited. A pale-faced man with shining eyes asked bitterly why tho United Labor Party did not take a neutral attitude over the strike, but rather took an attitude that had never been taken by one working-class organisation to its fellows. .; Mr. Mills replied volubly if indefinitely, characterising the programme of the Federation of Labor as one impregnated with the philosophy of anarchism—the advocacy of the direct action. He denied vehemently that the United Labor Party had been responsible for any effort to disturb or annoy any body of men trying to fight in the interests of the working-classes. He pointed out that every constructive programme had been opposed by anarchists, with no constructive programme of their own.

Mr. Silverstone congratulated Mr. Mills upon his clever evasion, and proceeded to challenge the ethics of publishing one sentence of a letter he had written for publication in the professor's column. Even the capitalist press acted fairer than that.

Mr. Mills was unmoved, and replied merely that he was responsible for what appeared on that page.