HISTORY OF THE A.W.U.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 35, 3 November 1911, Page 11

HISTORY OF THE A.W.U.

A book that cA r e_y student of the Labor movement should add to his collection is the "History of the A.W.U." by the Hon. G. W. Spence, M.P. The annual A.W.U- conference requested President Spence to compile the history of the organisation, and the result now lies before us. Those avlio look for brilliant description and high falutin' appeals to the stars, the Lord and the moon, will not find any flamboyant journalese" phrases within the covers of the 160-page book printed and lishcd by the "Worker" trustees. It is a. _ plain, unvarnished tale, tracing the history of the great union" from the, earliest efforts of organisation by Mr. Benjamin Graham, at Toowoomba, in 1874, through .the troublous fighting, days of the latter eighties, and the early nineties, to the present time. The. author has a fine eye. for : facts—the book is packed with them—instead of general remarks. Mr. Spence gives names, place, .and , dates for everything, and eA'en as an "argument-set-tler" the book is aycll worth the modest shilling charged for it. The chief incidents of the great strikes are described AYith simple yet graphic tenseness that carry truth in every sentence. It is enough to make one's blood boil to read of the indignities to Avhich the early unionists Aver-e subjected, and the callous ruthlessness with which the plu to-dominated Governments obeyed the behests of the squatters. Some of the politicians and mag-. istrates A-vho dealt it, out to the shearers in the nineties are still in high positions, able to'do mischief. A perusal of the book com'inees "Barrier Daily Truth" that a copy should be sent.to every man in the State Cabinet in order that they may learn the nature of class-consciousness. Then, perhaps, they might be less eager to send special trainloads of armed police to act as strike-breakers., Mr. Spence has succeeded in obtaining a interesting documents, early agree-, ments, correspondence relating to union-smashing, man-hunting, and be-hind-the-scenes political dodgery which throw, .a shaft of light on the history of the.bushAvorkors' fight against the pastoralists and subservient 'Governments. "Australia's Awakening" showed Mr. Spence to be a man of facts, Avith the happy knack of making them interesting, and "The History of the A.W.U" enhances his reputation in this direction. In years to come those in search of authentic information 'will turn to; both these books for the history of: unionism and Labor-in-pblitics.—"Bar-rier Daily Truth." ("History of the A.W.U.," by W. G. Spence, M;P. The Worker Trus-} tecs. Price, Is.) ,'