Futility of Strikes.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7080, 28 February 1893, Page 2

Futility of Strikes.

A good deal of interest has been manifested in the retiring speech of Mr Josiah Thomas, who, as president of the Australian Miners' Association, is giving place to Mr George Hum, recently acquitted of conspiracy in connection with the late strike. Mr Thomas said : “Never can I believe that the repulse we have received, heavy, terrible, and tremendous as it has been, is to prove final. I cannot bat believe that the men of Australia will never rest until the maritime, the shearers, and the Broken Hill defeats have been converted into triumphs. That the men of Broken TTil] will ever attempt to assist then'selves or to regain their lost portion through strikes 1 do not for a moment believe. If the Broken Hill strike has taught us anything, it has taught us this : the uselessness and futility of strikes ; though we can claim, and not without reason, that we had the power of stoppage of a vast dividend se a help to compel the shareholders to listen to reason. Splendid and magnificent support was accorded ta u§ by all the unions of Australasia. The support was unique as far as Australia was concerned, and the chances of winning were such as rarely, if ever, have occurred before. Yet we were unable io win. Mere justice pitted against vested interest and wealth is of no avail. I cannot but express my deep sorrow that, through that travesty of justice, the Deniliquin farce, Ferguson. Sieath, Hewitt, Herberle, and Polkingborne, instead of being with us, are in prison ; but we rejoice that their imprisonment is no disgrace to them or to <be cause they represent ; but rather it is a lasting disgrace to the annals of New South Wales history. The vindictive sentences passed upon them will bear their own fruit."