Meanwhile the work of organisation was proceeded with and everything pointed to a highly-successful gathering on July 1, 1913.
THE UNITY CONGRESS
Of the last week in June, 1913, it could be truly said that all roads led to Wellington. How effectively the work of organising had been carried on between January and July can be judged from the fact that when Conference assembled the Unity Committee had received advice from 247 different organisations intimating that they would be represented at Congress. Credentials were received from no less than 391 delegates, representing 61,000 organised workers. It was such a Conference as one sees only once in a lifetime, and indicated the enormous amount of interest aroused throughout New Zealand.
Again, the Hon. J. Rigg was asked to preside, and he carried out his work in a superb manner, and controlled the huge gathering as easily as if it were a small committee meeting.
Credit must, of course, be given to the delegates for their observance of the strict rules of debate, but he would have been a very courageous soul indeed who would have run counter to the rulings of that quiet, soft-spoken chairman.
Seated on the platform on the chairman’s right, I used to be highly amused at the efforts on the part of delegates to catch the chairman’s eye. One would notice delegates’ eyes fixed upon a speaker, and, as they imagined he was concluding his address, they would crouch forward, muscles tense, toes firmly resting on the floor, attempting to rivet the chair-
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