MATTERS POLITICAL.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 271, 21 May 1896, Page 2

MATTERS POLITICAL.

TO THK EDITOR. Sir, — It is quite true, as Mr James J. Bagnall points out, that the labor laws passed in the fourteenth century were pushed through at the instigation o£ the employers of labor. In ' the Statute of Laborers there was a clause " forbidding a laborer to . quit the parish where he lived in search of better paid employment," and within the past twelve months, at a congress of delegrates of trades unions, it was seriously discussed as to the best irieans of preventing laborers from one district in England going to another district to seek work and higher-wages. I submit both are cases of tyranny ; one proceeding, from the employers and the other from the present 'day unions or Knights of Labor, and support my argument which ran throngh my last letter, viz.; that the present Socialistic laws — Shop Hours Act, etc., — and the attempts to pass an Eight Hours Bill, and the legislation of the middle ages, both are legislative tyranny and interfere with a free-born Britisher's rights to work for himself as long as he likes. I would point out that many of the Acts of the sixteenth century, in reference to the regulation of trades and' industries, 'were put through Parliament by the influence of the trades guilds, many of whom wished to keep their particular trades in the hands of a few families. -History is repeating itself in this respect, though the iniative is this time taken by the unions, e.g., the resolution — which, by the bye, was ' afterwards rescinded — passed by the Dockers' Union in London, "that now, we have some 30,000 members of the Union, no more be allowed to join, we are sufficient to do the work." -That Lwas the essence if not the actual' words. The Union did not for one moment consider the many thousands , in London who were seeking work and could not get if. As Mr Bagnall agrees with me in every other respect, aimv at a loss to account for; one portion; of his letter, unless it be that as be supported a gentleman at the list electoral contest, who is reported to be, either a present or past member of the Knights ot Labor, and whom I have invited courteously to ventilate " his viewst in your columns so that I miiht have a chance of showing their fallacy ; if this be in accordanoe with my ; sur- , mise, I do not. think it will help that gentleman's chances of election very much. . Either his views are correct or incorrect Let the public have them, :■; and let him fight his own battle. Mr Bagnall roust agree with me, matters political in > New Zealand are so serious that it behoves every elector in the colony trying to get the fullest views ©f those about to woo the electors; If Mr Bagnall can talk as well as he can write I should feel almost persuaded to support him, if he will consent to stand, for be has clear and well thought out views which he can express \on paper, and moreover he is not a Knight of Labor. , , ,• I am, etc., .' w ' GeorgsH^ilkb. Feilding, 19th May, 1896. ,1