Campbell at Matawai

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 90, 6 December 1912, Page 3

Campbell at Matawai

A FIGHTING SPEECH. RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AND BUSHFALLING CONTRACTS. : : There was » large attendance at the Matawai branch of the Railway . Construction Workers' Union, to welcome Mr. H. A. Campbell (late secretary of the Canterbury, General Laborers' Union) to his new post as organising secretary for the Ngatapha and' Gis-borne-Motu railways. , ■ Mr. Sullivan, chairman for the evening, made a few brief remarks as to the advisability of having a permanent organiser on these lines. In procuring Mr. Campbell, they had a champion to further'the interests of .the workers under the banner of Industrial Unionism. Mr. Campbell, on rising to speak, was greeted with much applause. He said he had been a lighter for unionism for the past 22 years, and in coming to Matawai he had brought with him such experience, which he trusted would be helpful and beneficial to the members of this union.- At the present time, there was much apathy among unionists, and certainly much neglect in not taking the interest they should in the welfare of their organisation. He dwelt up6n the factory system which existed

before the dawn of unionism, and showed up the child labor and the tyranny of the capitalistic taskmasters, who were not content with sweating man and wife afc the looms, but scourged the children with cat of nine-tails if the youngsters were late. The speaker went on to say that since the inauguration of the first union in England, some 100 years, the workers had banded themselves together to bring about better conditions for their class, yet there were hundreds--yea, thousands—still outside the fold who didn't believe in unions, and were content to scab on their fellow men. (Shame.) "I hope," said Mr. Campbell, ""there are none of that class in this hall to-night. If there are, 1 can assure you there will be a warm time. 1 have not come here to tickle your ears with fancy words, but to speak straight, whether you like it or not), and give you the truth."

Mr. Campbell continued: "I hear there have ' been three contracts for bushfalling let out to three individuals which were tendered for. What have you done iri the matter 1 J I suppose you thofight- "it' was all right, but you never took into consideration that these men were undercutting one another; and that they were getting the lion's share, while the men who worked for them had to be content on wages. Where t-here is a union such union should tender for the job, and the jobs go by ballot amongst, the workers. This hs the safest way, especially if we mean to oiist .these small contractors. As ,1 am in the fighting line, T want each and all to do their share, then the tnme won't b« far distant when we.will have a strong union and an organisation to be proud of."—F. RANDLES, Fee. Sec. ■•Nov. 24.