EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO—AND NOW.

Industrial Unionist, Volume 1, Issue 19, 22 November 1913, Page 2

EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO—AND NOW.

[The following, taken from the late “ Social Democrat ” (of Auckland), the real pioneer journal of Industrial Unionism in New Zealand, is interesting in view of the tactics resorted to by the mine bosses of Huntly and elsewhere, since it was written.

The editor of the “ Democrat,” himself an ex-Huntly miner, hit the mark —as the action of the mine management at Huntly, in singling out men with sections or houses, has so well revealed. The nauseaus hypocracy of the Allison type, with professes anxiety “ for the comfort ” of employees, is but a cloak, to cover their designs to rivet the chains of slavery more firmly.] “ Says the Huntly Press, referring to the land sales announced by the Taupiri Coal Mines Co., Ltd: —-

“ ‘ The company is anxious to provide for the comfort and convenience of its employees, and will place a large number of building sections at their disposal.’

“ How nice! How kind-hearted and considerate ! How passionately fond are the mineowners for their working mules ! The f anxiousness ’ on the part of the Taupiri Coal Mines Co. arises from their desire not to provide comfort and convenience for its employees, but rather to more firmly hold their employees under the iron heel of oppression and exploitation, by having them tied in-the .vicinity of the mines. Too well does the Taupiri Coal Mines Co. know that the men and women, struggling to obtain a home of their own, will think twice before jeopardising their chances by making common cause with their fellows.

“ Not that we are opposed to the workers owning their own homes: quite the contrary; but if the company referred to is really anxious for the ‘ comfort and convenience ’ of its employees, they might at least provide bath-houses at the pit-heads, bathrooms in their shanties, shorten the hours of labour by tw T o per day, slacken the pace by about one-half, and a thousand-and-one other things that might be mentioned. If this were done we might believe the ‘ comfort,’ etc., of the employees were the first consideration of the company; otherwise we can only continue to believe that King God ‘ Profit ’ is the dominating factor in the company’s activities, the assumed desire for the ‘ comfort and convenience ’ of the employees, a hypocritical sham and bugbear.”