MR. SMILLIE AND THE DUKES.

Taihape Daily Times, 30 June 1919, Page 3

MR. SMILLIE AND THE DUKES.

NO -INS'VUL'.'l‘_ INTENDED. b Mr_ Robert Smillie, in recognition of his appointment ‘as president of the Miners" Federation was presented with a gift from the Larkhall, Allanton and Summerlee branches. of the Scottish Miners’ Union atva meeeting in Larkhall on Saturday. May 10th. ‘ I-n the course of his‘ ’r‘e'§Ty Mr. Smillie; speaking on the work of the Coal Inquiry, remarked that some people imagined that the Miners’ Fedel'ation had called the dukes" before the Commission in order to ?b—roW'beat them, insult them or be illlpel‘ri;l-mt to them. He wished to assure the public that nothing. of the kind was in the minds of the;.«'Fedel-ation. They didnot blame-V the dukes as individuals. What tlley’desire’d to see was that the system of’ which they were a part:-was;al’cered;.because it was ~Wrong_ .»:'.-‘s:m,'.H' .3 'l<,.-'.' _ - He.,would Tlotr.l:23~:(ra~-t‘o see any Lord

or Duke killed or put in prison, but would like to say to them that if anything _'in the shape of a revolution broke out the fault would not be that of Bob Smillie_ (Laughter and applauée~).‘ While ‘those n'leli had hundreds of thousands of acres, the working people ‘were living» three, four ‘and five in a room. and children were dying before their time. The landlords were sitting on the safety-valves of the nation ,and at (be same time were deliberately 1;e11ing the working people that they would insist on the preséiit state of matters continuing. If they did so they wouldget a rude awakening.