SPGB Meetings. (1906)

Party News from the April 1906 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB Annual Conference. (1906)

Party News from the March 1906 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB Meetings. (1906)

Party News from the February 1906 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB Meetings. (1906)

Party News from the January 1906 issue of the Socialist Standard

Party Notes. (1905)

Party News from the December 1905 issue of the Socialist Standard

It is particularly requested that all communications be addressed : “The Socialist Party of Great Britain, 1a, Caledonian Road, King’s Cross, London, N.” See official notice on page 4.

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I find it necessary to repeat the above request, as some Branch officials and other correspondents are still sending communications to other addresses than the Head Office.

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It was stated in these notes in our September issue that Peckham Branch were arranging a debate between Mr. Stephenson, Treasurer of the L.R.C. and a representative of this Party. Apparently the debate, like a well-known smile, “won’t come off,” but thro’ no fault of ours.

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Our Comrade Wren recently explained the matter in the “Dulwich Post,” from which the following is quoted :

“We submitted to Mr. Stephenson, complying with his request for particulars, the following proposal: ‘That he should meet John Kent, of the S.P.G.B., in debate at the Peckham Public Hall on any week-night in September, he (Mr. Stephenson) might choose; the chair to be occupied by Mr. Chas. Hawkins, of the French Polishers’ Union. (Mr. Hawkins is opposed to us, but we could rely on his strict impartiality). That the expense for the hire of the hall should be borne equally by the two parties, or wholly by The Socialist Party.'”

Upon publication of Cde. Wren’s letter, Mr. Stephenson wrote to the “Dulwich Post” a long communication of a red-herring brand, by which, apparently, he declines to meet our speaker because the Peckham Branch “refused to guarantee” that he would have a fair hearing !!!

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Now, so far as we are concerned, all our opponents may rest assured that no efforts on our part will be spared to provide them with a quiet and attentive audience, but as the “first statesman in the land” has remarked, “there is a limit to human endurance.” Is it that Mr. Stephenson fears that his case is so weak, and his method of presenting it would be so bad that the audience would lose their patience with him for wasting their time ?

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In accordance with Rule 6, no member shall be placed on the official lecture list until he has satisfactorily answered a list of questions drawn up by the Executive Committee. A copy of these questions will be forwarded to any member applying for same. Each Branch should make a point of organising classes for their study, so that we may give an even better account of ourselves next season than this.

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Comrades who may be feeling a bit “down” should make an effort to attend the Sunday evening lectures at Dovecote Hall, Wood Green, held under the auspices of the North London District Council. The hall is well lighted and cosily furnished and the local comrades are hearty in their welcome; questions are plentiful and the discussion good. On the 31st of December a Social Evening will be held.

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Members who get possession of reports or other documents issued by Trade Unions, Reform Parties, and the like, are kindly requested to forward them to the Head Office, in order that Powder and Shot may be extracted from them for the use of our speakers and writers.

G. C. H. Carter, Gen. Sec.

SPGB North London District Council. (1905)

Party News from the October 1905 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB Lectures. (1905)

Party News from the November 1905 issue of the Socialist Standard

From Our Branches. (1905)

Party News from the November 1905 issue of the Socialist Standard

Islington.

We are still successfully earning on our outdoor operations in this district, and during September we reached our highest sale of The Socialist Standard, having sold 338 copies of No. 13. Up to the end of September we had sold 529 copies of the Party Manifesto; if other branches are doing as well the entire edition will shortly be exhausted. The people are asking us for further literature, which we trust the Party will issue early next year. The collections taken up at our meetings are well maintained, and the Party Treasurer receives his quota thereof each month. Our flourishing financial position enables us to make a donation every month to the Party Organ Fund, and the Islington comrades have not been slow in contributing their share towards the expenses of the new Central Office of the Party.

These excellent results are due in no small degree to the able assistance of Party speakers like comrades Fitzgerald and Jackson. Jackson’s addresses bear the unmistakable impress of a fertile and studious mind, and we look forward with confidence to his career as a platform exponent of the principles of the Party.

The Islington Branch has invited Comrade Jackson to deliver a series of lectures on “The Philosophy of Socialism.” These lectures commenced on October 24th and will be continued every Tuesday, 9 p.m., at the Co-operative Stores. 79, Grove Road, Holloway, N. There will be about 13 lectures altogether. The course will differ from the usual style of economic class, as it is the intention of the lecturer to approach the science of Socialism by easy political, sociological and historical studies, illustrated by examples drawn from geology and biology.

Con Lehane.

North London District Council.

Seeing that this Council has done a considerable amount of propaganda work, and seeing that the work has been very successful, it is but right and proper that it should be put on record in the Official Organ of the Party. Week night meetings were run throughout July, August, and September, and in some cases are being continued during October. These meetings— including the stations at Garnault Place, Clerkenwell; Highbury Comer; St. Ann’s, Tottenham : High St., Hornsey; Waltham Abbey and Waltham Cross—have, in many cases been excellent, with large sales of literature and good collections. Six meetings per week exclusive of Sunday, is, in brief, the Report of the Council for this small district for the three months. Next year we are confident of being able to improve upon this, for we have plenty of speakers, actual and potential, and abundance of energy and enthusiasm. While we wait, somewhat impatiently, for the return of Spring with its opportunities for outdoor work, we are not idle, and our indoor lectures at Dovecote Hall, Wood Green, are most gratifying. All along the line we are gaining ground. Conscious of the correctness of our principles, and of the honesty and justice of our purpose, and confident that the workers of North London will eventually realise, as we have done, that their only hope lies in Socialism, we are content to peg away in our endeavours to show that by and through our methods alone can the advent of Socialism be hastened.

Dick Kent, Sec.