Source: The Call 5th June 1919, p.1
Transcription: Ted Crawford
HTML Markup: Brian Reid
Copyleft: John Maclean Internet Archive (www.marx.org) 2007. Permission is granted to copy and/or distribute this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
In conjunction with comrades Dawson and Fred Shaw I have addressed five meetings in the Colne Valley and Huddersfield. The meeting on Wednesday was held in St. George’s Square, Huddersfield. under the auspices of the Trades Council to protest against the Army Secret Document. It was record for this year’s outdoor meetings, but was easily eclipsed by the Sunday evening one on the same spot, when the following resolution was carried, as also at Honley, the fighting centre of the Colne Valley division:-
“That this meeting of Huddersfield workers condemns the Government’s failure to carry out its schemes of reconstruction, and thus to provide useful work for the unemployed;
“Furthermore, expresses its disgust at keeping in prison the conscientious objectors, the Clyde strike leaders, and other champions of labour; at the continuance of conscription, the increasing intervention in Russia and Hungary, the brutal peace terms imposed on the German workers, and the issuing of the Army Secret Document of espionage on the soldiers to find out those willing to break strikes and generally to blackleg on the workers of the world;
“Resolves, therefore, to use its influence inside the Trade Union movement to support the N.U.R. if the latter summons a conference of all unions with the object of carrying out a general strike on the above issues; and further pledges itself to support a general unofficial strike if the Trade Unions fail the rank and file at this critical juncture in the history of the world and the world’s workers.”
Efforts are being made to build up a network of Workers’ Committees and independent educational classes in conjunction with the Central Labour College in Yorkshire, Lancashire, S. Wales, and Scotland must look to their laurels now that the dalesmen of Yorks are on the move. For the second time the Conle Valley in particular means to make history.
J. MACLEAN