THE EIGHT HOURS' MILL. INTERVIEW WITH MR FIRTH. HE REVIEWS THE SITUATION. Auckland, May 8.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 367, 11 May 1889, Page 3

THE EIGHT HOURS' MILL. INTERVIEW WITH MR FIRTH. HE REVIEWS THE SITUATION. Auckland, May 8.

A Star reporter obtained admission to the sanctum of Mr J. C. Firth' the other day, senb thither by the rumour that the Eight Hours' Mill, which had been stopped through some monetary difficultieswith the New Zea. land Loan and Mercantile Company, had ros umed operations. Finding that Rumour had once again departed from the strict line of truth the pressman sat down and had | a long talk with Mr Firth about various | matters, of which we here give an account. Our representative opened the ball and approached the worthy miller with the remark : " A good deal of interest is being attached to your affairs, Mr Firth, you being so well known here, and I would be very triad if you could give me some little informai/ion on the subject for the benefit of the public. Could you just sketch for me the positions of affairs* now existing as regards your mill ?" "Well," said Mr Firth, "I am deeply affected with the expressions of sympathy I have received on every hand troni the general public, and Iwouldbeindeedgladto answer your very natural inquiries, but just at present, I doubt very much the wisdom of saying much as to the position of my affairs." - v - ~>" Why, do you think there is likely to be any law "proceedings ? 1 have heard whispers to that effect. '' , " As far as I am concerned I have often stood up for the rights of others, and if it , is necessary to stand up for my own at this time of day, I shall do it." "Is it true," asked the reporter, seeing Mr Firth did not seem inclined to go on, "is it true that you have received a writ from the Loan and Mercantile Company ?" '• I do not know whether I ought to say yes to that question," replied he. " I may say, however, thai I shall not be the first to begin the battle, but if I have to fight I know one thing — I won't iun away." "But what is the nature of the battle you expect ?" " Oh," said Mr Filth, " it is nouse talking about battles before they begin the fight. It is better to talk about a battle when you have won or lost it." "I have heard say that this is not the first contest you have been in. though you have not done anything in that line here ?" queried the reporter. " Oh, you probably refer to a little affair I had- with the commissioners of -a high road in my neighbourhood in Yorkshire."' t( i)o you .object to telling me the story ?" 'Ut j^ jj o j^ o j. knQw that I have any objection. v When I was a young fellow about twenty. I resided at an old manor house with my father, some three miles from our works. I was in the habit of riding down an old Roman road, very picturesque and striking, whieh'connected two main road 3 under the control of the commissioners. A few months before the incident I am describing these commissioners attempted to take an advantage of me, which I resisted, .andbeac them. By way of paying me out they threatened to erect a toll bar on this ancient Roman road with a view of making me pay toll. On riding home one evening "Ifound they had carried out their threat. There was only one house about, it being a,lonely neighbourhood, and opposite this house they had erected a toll bar and made the owner of the house toll collector. On approaching the gate I found it locked and was told that I could not go through again without paying toll. I told the man that this was an old Roman road and that neither the Romans nor anyone else had even paid toll, and I had no intention of beginning. He said, ' 1 know noughb about the Romans, but the commissioners said you have to pay ,toll the next time you cum through.' I replied, ' Now will you tell your commissioners that to-morrow morning T will bring two teams of horses •down, and that if I find this gate shut and locked I will pull it down.' He said ' All reit xneister.' Next morning 1 brought two of my father's draymen with their teams. Coming to the new toll bar I found it shut and locked, and the man sitting on the wall waiting events. I shouted to him, 'Thomson, open that gate.' He repiled, ' Nay, meister, ah weant oppen it.' * Very well, 5 replied I, 'I will open it for you,' and without more ado I directed the carters to hitch on their teams to the toll bar, and in less than a minuts it lay in ruins, and putting the debris on one side of the road we pursued our journey. After that the coi.imissioners levied no tolls on me or anybody else.'' " Weil," said the reporter at the conclusion of the yarn, " I do not think that that was the story I heard referred to. Did you not have some kind of a battle about a mechanics' institute ?" 14 Yes, ye? ; I remember I had. Well, it came about in this way. You have heard of the Low Moor ironworks ?" " Yes, in Yorkshire." " Well, these works were owned by some very big people— t-he Hardys and Wickhams, oueof themnowbeingLordCranbrook, who was Secretary of War in Lord Beaconsfield's last Administration. When I was about four and twenty I took charge of some large wcks in the neighbourhood of the Low Moor Ironworks run by some uncles of mine. Having always been a great supporter of Mechanics' Institutes, I turner my attention in that direction, and soon found that though the Low Moor Company employed thousands of workmen, nothing whatever had been done in this way. After consultation with some of their piincipal men we decided to commence a Mechanics' Institute in the only building available— a large room connected with a public house. The new institution soon became vei'y popular. Classes and lectures were started and met with very great success. We soon began to find however that whilst we were teaching history, mathematics, chemistry and what not, too many of the" pupils were rapidly acquiring another kind of knowledge not so advantageous, in the shape of glasses of gin, etc. The committee under these circumstances decided to erect a place for themselves. The site was chosen on the common. Perhaps I ought to explain that there was no freehold land in the neighbourhood, the extensive Low moor works being erected on the common, ' the gentlemen,' as they were called, or the proprietors, being lords' of the manor. A large amount in subscriptions was immediately promised, and the gentlemen owning the Low Moor works were waited upon to give the site. Two others and myself were appointed a deputation from the Committee to interview them. Our request was readily granted. They undertook to give a lease, which was all the title they could give, the common being unenclosed. Well, we decided on plans, accepted tenders and commenced the building/ When it was approaching completion land two others wereagain appointed a deputation of the committee to wait upon the Low Moor proprietors to aek when the lease would be ready for signing. We went bo the works in due course when to our

surprise we were informed that the * gentlemen ' understood that such matters as the game laws and the law of entail wore discussed at our meetings and that they were opposed to such discussions. Inpointof fact they did not want any Radicals there. Further they would nob grant a lease unless such and kindred subjects woro banished from discussion at our meetings. I stated that if we were to teach the history and social condition of our own country such subjects must bo discussed. They replied that they would not Admit it. The deputation retired and brought tho resolution to the Committee. A general meeting of subscribers and members w.is called and the lesult of the interview given to them. At this meeting it was unanimously agreed to insist upon the proprietors keeping their promise as first given ; also in case they declined to do so to pull down the building which was approaching completion and to sell the debris. The deputation convoyed the resolution to the proprietors of the iron works. I read the first resolution, which elicited the redy that theyw6uldnotgranttheleaso,andlthenread the second resolution. One ot tho gentlemen got voiy red in tho face and exclaimed • You , dare not do it, you dare not carry that resolution out.' 1 said we would bo very sorry to do ib but they would see that it would be done. I continued ' I wish you to understand that if this flourishing Mechanics' In&titute is destroyed it will be you that will destroy ,it.' There being nothing more to be said we wished them good morning, and reported again to a full meeting of the Institute with the result thatthe Committee wero empowered, to pull down the building and sell the debris. The Committee being all in tho service of tho Low Moor company, wished mo to take the actual management of the affair. I did so; set men to pull down the building, and a day or two after sold the debris at auction ; and there it ended, with the result that for a great many years the village remained in its ancient darkness, as far as mechanics' institutes were concerned, but a blow was struck for freeiom which left its mark for many a day." " Well, that is not a bad story ; but I would like to know a little more about tho struggle in which you are now, likely to be engaged," observed the reportor. " No, I can only saj 7 , as I have said before, there will be no struggle if I can help it, but if there is any fighting to be done I shall not run away." " When is the mill going to start again then? We hear a lob about a manager being brought up from the South." "If so he was brought here without my knowledge, and it appears to me at present that the mill cannot start until negotiations are in a more advanced state." " Bub the Loan and Mercantile Company have served you with a writ," persisted our representative. "Yes, and a very venomous writ it is, but I cannpt tJeli you more at present.'' "I have heaid rumours ot you having been asked to enter Pcii-liamenb?" "Oh, that is in the future. If these fellows kick me out of the mill, and any constituency asks me to go, I think it is very likely I shall consent."