Letter and newspaper cutting about Mayday parade in Melbourne, 1927

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24 Jun 1927 [date stamp]

May 16. 1927
8 Argyle Square
Carlton Victoria
Australia

Dear Comrade

Received your letter. A few lines about Australia, you will see by the clipping that I am keeping Anarchy before the Public. On May Day I carried a banner, on which was written Anarchy, No God, Reason, No Dictators, Freedom. Just as we were entering into the city, the Trades Hall Council Band Master came running up to me, and stated that the Band would cease to play and the Procession would stop if I did not go to the back of the procession[.] To which I replied I can stop also, the Band stopped, the Procession stopped, so I stopped. A conference was held by the May Day Politicians who decided to continue the march, so I carried the Banner through the city which caused a sensation. When we arrived at the Yarra Bank a great audience came to the Anarchist Platform. You may be sure I trounced the Political Shysters severely.

The Duke of York has been here. Had he remained both the Duchess and He would have suffered from senile decay as they were surrounded by  all the old [?]jiffs in Melbourne. The loyalty of the Labour Party was disgusting, they [?]shined and slobbered, over the Duke at the Banquets, some of them got so drunk, which made the duke anxious to avoid them. Melbourne is loyalty mad[.] On Anzac Day working people were paying 3/- and 6/- for a fruit case to see the Duke and Duchess pass[.] I never saw anything like it in Melbourne. The Press stated that over a million were present. The Duke has gone, another Procession is being held; the unemployed. There are 10,000 out of work in Melbourne they should have demonstrated while the Duke was here. Thousands of workers in Australia are down and out.

Yours fraternally

JW Fleming

[News cutting:]

Melbourne [handwritten]

May 2, 1927

200 MARCHED

May Day Banners

LED BY ANARCHIST 

WITH bannerettes flaunting, 200 May Day enthusiasts marched through the city yesterday in celebration of the Internation Labor Day 

The only new slogon to make its appearance was the banner: Hands off China 

The procession which was headed by the Trades Hall Band. included two decorated lorries, bearing the May Day Queen and her court of a number of childrcn dressed in white and red. 

South Melbourne Band headed a body of members of the I.W W. 

Some distance ahead of the procession, but apparently quite distinct from it, was Mr. John Fleming, the Yarra Bank orator, with a bodyguard of one. 

They carried a banner bearing the words: Anarchy, No God. Freedom. No King. No Parliament. 

Apparently these principles did not meet with the approval of the May Day enthusiasts as the procession was halted for some time in the city while an attempt was made to induce Mr Fleming and his companion to retire to the rear of the procession. 

He would not do so, however, but marched on.

[Bought with donations from supporters of the library https://www.katesharpleylibrary.net/doc/donations ]