THE STRIKE.

Auckland Star, Volume III, Issue 634, 23 January 1872, Page 2

THE STRIKE.

To the Editor of the Evening Stae. Sib,— Though not myself engaged in any way upon Mr. Brogden's contract, yet as I consider this a matter which personally concerns every working man in New Zealand, I cannot forego the pleasure I feel in publicly thanking those men for showing an example which I trust will be followed out in every part of the Island. If they will only hare the courage, to persevere,

they will undoubtedly gain a victory, not onlyfor themselves, but one which they will be able to hand clown to their children.

I trust they will be warned by me, and alter that resolution of working overtime, because no mere pecuniary consideration that a contractor can afford to give will compensate them for tho disadvantages of working a minute longer than eight hours' I speak from practical experience .having been in Otago when McKenzie tried to introduce the nine hour system, but fortunately the men stuck together, and he was a3 a matter of course defeated, and to this day such a thing as working moristhan eight hours at road work is not V and there is not a province^ in „. aV>r island that can compete with it in prosperity for all classes. 1 have also seen in Canterbury, Holmes the railway contractor, unfortunately through the cupidity of some of the men who accepted an extra shilling for overtime, and from such a paltry gain as that the nine hour system was introduced, which I believe still continues there more or less to this day.

Again I tell these men now is the time to hold out, if once the nine hour movement is introduced it will be impossible to eradicate it. Look for instance at Australia and the United States, in both of which the Legislature passed a bill called the Eight hours Act, but it could only be put in force upon roads immediately under their authority, simply through the carelessness of the men themselves whoattne commencement allowed working nine or ten hours to become as it were acclimatised in the soil. I should apologize to you, Sir, for intruding on your valuable space, but the press has got its duties to perform like everything else in this world, but none greater or more glorious than standing as you have done on this occasion, and another'recent one, courageously fighting the battle of right against might. I remain, &c, A Woeking Max.