FORTY YEARS AGO

Hokitika Guardian, 31 December 1930, Page 7

FORTY YEARS AGO

An anonymous writer in the “Advertiser,” Adelaide, thus humorously contradicts the industrial changes during the past forty years: “Forty years ago Australia was a free country; a man was not compelled to join a union before he was allowed to work for his living. It was not necessary to have police protection for a willing worker.

“The employer was not compelled to pay a ‘go-slow’ worker the same wages as a good one, nor was the good worker compelled to ‘go „slo\V’ by order of the trade-union leader. He was not liable to fourteen days’ imprisonment for not paying his union fees. He was not liable to be turned out of the union for working too hard. He was not liable to be called ‘black’ and thereby prevented from earning a living. He was not liable to be called out on strike once or twice a month and remain so for the greater part of the year. The country was not ruled by the Trades Hall. There is work to-dav for one thousand men at Broken Hill, but the union leaders will not allow any man to work. The trades unions and the Arbitration Court have closed most of the mines in the country, and the few still working will be closed in less than three years. Not even a goldmine would pay to work under tradeunion and arbitration rules.” “If the railways had been in the hands of private companies, they too would have been compelled to close down years ago, thanks to the rules of the trades unions and Arbitration Courts. The Commonwealth Shipping Company had to sell up and put 6000 men out of work. It took five men on these boats to So the work of one in any other country.” “About twelve months ago the liftmen in Adelaide formed a union. Their first demand was for £6 a week, fires in the winter, fans in the summer, easy chairs and the morning paper. To-day, with few exceptions, their places" have been filled with girls.” “By Act of Parliament a man is not allowed to work for 'less than the basic wage, and the employer is not allowed to employ anyone for less, however willing the man might lie. In Russia the home of trade unions, food is drawn by ration card. Germany, where trade unions and socialism are very strong, has five mililon unemployed: England over two millions. France, with few trade unions, has no unemployed. Canada .works under conditions consistent with natural law, and is prosperous. Australia was pioneered and developed/under similar conditions and prospered. To-day she is trying to work under unnatural conditions. Many of the 'Union leaders have been telling us for years that thev ore out to destroy the present system and put the Russtan system in its place. So far as they have gone they have been successful. China was a peaceful country until the Ru«sion trade unions sent representatives there to stir up strife. India was the same, but they will fail in this country, thanks to British protection.