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BIG MASS MEETINGHELD BY LOCAL VANCOUVER. S. P. of C.. IN GRAND THEATRE.J. H. HAWTHORNTHWAITESpeaker of the Evening—A Stirring Address on Matters Pertaining to Provincial Politics and Questions of Interest to the Workers of British Columbia-Last Sunday nigjht’s Socialist mass meeting was of a decidedly revolu-nary hue, and rather likely any of the largo audience present, who were expecting to hear an advocate of Huch issues as “public ownership. municipal ownership, and other yueetions which are of no concern to sellers of labor-**) wer. would feel somewhat disappointed.It's not often that one can “lift a report of a socialitet meeting from a daily, but the writer proposes to do so this time. Here's what the “News-Advertiser” said , and is, as a synopsis, a very fair report:On Sunday evening Mr. J. H. Haw-thornthwaite, M. P. P., addressed a large gathering of Socialists in the Grand Theatre on Cordova Street. The subject of Mr. Hawihornthwaite’s address was, “Legislation for the Coming Session.”The speaker started out by scoring the press for their unfair reports of the doings of the Socialist members In the House. He said the Conservative papers took out all that did not please them and left in what suited them and the Liberals did the same, but he hoped they would remedy this by having at the next session a reporter for the Socialist papers who would accurately represent what they did.“I find,” continued the speaker, “that I have arrived in Vancouver at an opportune time, as the whole City just now seems to be stirred to Its pro-foundest depths by the great question ofC. P. R. FREIGHT RATES.That giant monopoly has been stretching out its tentacles and after devouring the lives of the workingmen, It is trying to shove down its hungry maw a number of these portly middlemen, and they have certainly set up a most discordant squawk. I have heard a great deal of sweet music in my time. As a boy my British blood has been stirred by the military bands playing ‘Rule Britannia.* I have listened to the finest operas and orchestras, I have sat in lofty cathedrals and my soul has been stirred by the strains pealing from the mighty organs, but the sweetest music I have heard yet is that dis-cordant squawk set up by the middle-, men of Vancouver.” (Laughter).Mr. Hawthornthwalte continued that he supposed that at the next session these men would , APPEAL TO THE LEGISLATUREpelllng the workmen to go elsewhere to seek for jobs, and if the Liberal Party of British Columbia resorted to such tactics—as Joseph Martin had done some years ago with his platform of 17 planks—they would find they could not stuff the workers with any such humbug as that.Mr. Hawthornthwalte then outlined hisPROGRAMME FOR THE COMINGSESSION.The list read: First, abolition of the$200 deposit for candidates; second, establishment of an eight-hour law in smelters; third, a bill to prevent lobbying, including a fine of $1,000 or six months' imprisonment for any one trying to influence a member in the lobby of the House; fifth, weekly wages for workmen; sixth, a shops regulation act; sixth, an eight-hour day for all sawmills, logging camps, Government road camps, etc.; seventh, revision of the Assessment Act exempting all improvements by actual settlers up to the value of $1,000; eighth, old age pensions; ninth, an amended Coal Mines Regulations Act; tenth, establishment of an eight-hour day as the standard for manual labor; eleventh, a bill to compel joint stock companies to publish annual returns;; twelfth, establishment of public abattoirs for slaughtering all meat; thirteenth, the franchise for women; fourteenth, revision of franchise to compel all voters to have a sufficient knowledge of English. Mr. Haw-thornthwaite said he was also instructed to oppose any attempt to impose a gun licence, and that he would bring forward the following resolutions: “Resolved that this House express its sympathy with the people of Russia in their struggle for freedom.*'“Resolved that the vote for Militia purposes in the Province be cut out.” Mr. Hawthornthwalte said they had been accused of keeping the Tory Party in power, but in reality there had beenNO TIME.in the last session when the absence of their vote could have defeated the Government. They had not voted on tvant of confidence motions because the Government had failed to provide subsidies for railways, because they were only there to deal with matters that affected the w'orkingmen of this Province. They had, however, voted against the Government grant to the Militia because the wage earners had a standing objection to militia. But the Liberals were not better than the Government in that respect because when that vote w*as taken it was found that Ihere were only four men in the House w’ho had the courage to vote against it.Speaking of his intended resolution of sympathy with the Russians Mr. Hawthornthwalte said that he was a Britisher brought up under the Union Jack and taught solemnly to believe that they alone were the salt of the earth and-to despise all foreigners accordingly. Yet these Russians whom they had been taught to despise had lisen in their struggle for freedom, and unarmed, save with sticks and stones, had bared their breasts to the bayonets of the Cossacks without fear. (Applause).Mr. Hawthornthwaite then dealt at some length on the merits of the different measures he proposed “to bring before the House. Apropos of the Bill to compel Joint Stock CompaniesTO MAKE ANNUAL RETURS
Newspaper Details
Vancouver Western Clarion
Vancouver, British Columbia, CA
Sat, Dec 16, 1905
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CA 28 Nov 2023
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