Beaconsfield Bushfellers Meeting

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 59, 4 November 1890, Page 2

Beaconsfield Bushfellers Meeting

(from: otjb own cobrespondent.) A meeting of bushfellers was held in the schoolhouae, Beaconstield, on Saturday, November 1. Owing to the bad weather, aqd also the bad state of the bridle tracks there was an ordinary attendance as was expected. On the motion of Mr C. Keightley, seconded by Mr D. Harris, Mr A. Hickford took the chair. Mr Hickford then opened the proceedings by explaining the object of this meeting, which, ho said, was to try and better the bushfellor (or forest leveller) individually with regard to bushfelling, and to raise the price of bushfelling. Ho asked, " How are we to do this?" Ho said it was of no use for one poison saying 19 • oapitaliit " I want 32s per aoreto fell your bush," providing the capitalist intends to have it foiled for 265. There is uo doubt, Mr Hiokford said, that the capitalist would say, in return, "I have fixed say prioo for the bush, you can either take the bash at my price or go without work, I oan starve you in time, as there it so on* to support you." It is quite probable that this forest leveller has * large fa»ilv to keep, and therefore has to take this work for a low price owing to not having a u*ion to help him. And, on the other hand, gentlemen, if he were in a u«ie» ho could say, " I shall have this work at tho mnioa price, as I can get support from the Union if Ido not take it." By sa doing he will get bis price from the capitalist far tho work he intends to take. The capitalist will then know thai ha. hat aot aalj on* separate person, but that he (the capitalist) will nave a combined nation to deal with. He will then tmbiait to an ordiaairy price being paid for his work, whioh will be juatioa to both capitalist and laborer. There is no doubt that oapitalists will think that Unionism is very hard towards them, but the capitalists* do not think how hard they have treated their laborers in times past, and would do bo now if it lay in their power to «a so. We, as laborers, don't mind beiag pushed down, but we shall not bo tratiapled on. This is what capitalists havo boon doing; trampling labor mndof th«« foot as if it were durfc, but the capitalists have dono this too- long, and they sow fed out that labor is biting at thai? capital, and labor will bits a lot worse ik a Jew years ; the capitalists have made thoir own bods and now thoy must lie » fhoaa. With regard to bushfelling, Mr Hiokiwd said there was no harder work, 'aid- <tfe©agto iiio vary hard work it is less paid is* >i>*» asy other work in the colony. I»io «&» nature dangerous work than any other. Besides robbing the men of their bodily health, tho number of fatal aoeuloate wo greater in tapbfelling than iii any ©riser class of labor. If a pan works a fiaw joais in the hush he is of very ttttlo «so afterwards. How often do wo «omo aoross »os who are tormented with rbauuoatieia till on their death bods, caused by exposure when bushfelling, and how aaaay wore men are ruined with cramp through the same work, and numbers of others are crippled for life through the breaking of their bones, and then the country has to support them. Most of these accidents are caused by the low pries, pawl for bashfelling. Men know that thoy flaaeoi cuake ordinary wages at the prise they got &r the work, and therefore thoy ate c&iged to tush through with it,, and tkaa &«j <wumot avoid danger. If bush work was paid a fair price for there is very little dsobt b«t that the " forest leveller, ' wo*ld be raore caieful, and thus escape a great auaiba* of accidents. But how hewriWe is the news when they reaoh the oars of a rsor wife that bar hasbaad has been killed by tho falling of a teee. Here sh« is th«n left "all alone in the world, porhaps with a large, family and scarcely suiSciont SBoaey to bury her husband. Thss this poor woman has to plod through the world, oarning money the beat way she can to keep herself and her family. Whereas, had her husband been getting good wages there is no doubt but that he wowid have put money by in case of any accident, Now, all know the horrible dangers that a bushfeller has to undergo, and it is quits time a better wage was obtained for fushfelling, and if all would pull together a better wage would begot. (Applause.) Tho rule* of the Bushmen's Union were them read by M» A. Hickford, after -which tho chairman invited any questions to be asked ; there being no questions, thfrohairman read throe letters of invitations from Huntarville and Pahiataa, requesting that a delegate be sent to these places to form branches of the Bushfollors' Union, and another letter was read from Auckland,' stating a Bushmen's Union had been formed there, now numbering about 250 men and TO boys, and that they expect to be 3000 strong before the end of the year, they also proposed to send a delegate to visit Feilding if required. Proposed by Mr J. W. Maolarin, seoonded by Mr Harris, That two members of this Union shall visit all the camps in the back blocks to try and induce the men so join tho Buahfeller's Union. — Carried. : The chairman then invited those who had aot joined the Union to do so now, and several men joined. The chairman then proposed a hearty vote of th laks to tho gentlemen of Feilding for their assistance at this meeting, seconded by Mr C. Soightly and carried. On the motion of Mr J). Harris, seconded by Mr J. W. Maclarin, a vote of thanks was passed to tho chairman and the meeting closed.