ARCHDEACON JULIUS ON THE STRIKES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1947, 24 September 1889, Page 3

ARCHDEACON JULIUS ON THE STRIKES.

Archdeacon Julius, M.A., addressed a large assemblage at the Academy of Music, Ballarat, recently, on the strike of London dockmen. Mr Porter. President of the Trades Hall and Labor Council, presided. The Arch-

deacon, on coming forward, was received with applause. He explained that not long ago he lived and worked in the wretched quarter in which there was so much agitation and commotion, and said that the misery which there prevailed on all sides had been caused by greed on the part of the moneyed classes and middlemen. He next referred to the squalor and misery of the habitations of the London poor, and, amidst great applause, said the strike of the London dockmen had his fullest sympathy. He ridiculed the idea of men working for 5d per hour, with the probability of not getting more than half a day’s work. The rev. lecturer paid a high tribute to the heroic conduct of John Burns, the Socialist leader, in endeavoring to raise the London poor from the squalor and misery by which they were surrounded. What was a Socialist P He did not know, nor did anybody else appear to know. He was aware that John Burns was a Socialist, and his Socialism consisted of agitating for rights and privileges for the working classes similar to

those enjoyed by the working men of Australia. (Loud applause-) John Burns was agitating for the railways to become the property of the people, and for what he (the lecturer) hoped we would soon have here—land nationalism. (Loud applause.) The lecturer then referred in strong terms to themonopoly of wealth, and said that out of every million of wealth produced the landlord, middleman and trader got three-fourths, and the producer of this wealth only one-fourth. (Applause.) There was an awful increase of the wealth of the few, and a fearful increase in the poverty of the many. It was urged that the rich men spent their money. They did, but it was upon luxury, and they must know that luxury did not represent the wealth of a nation. This overflowing recklessness was so much bread and butter taken from the mouths of the people. (Hear, hear, and loud applause.) Then there was the middleman—the bloodsucker—whom he would like to kick out. (Laughter and loud applause.) Sweating was a curse, and to the working men he (the lecturer) said, “ If you see the first sign of sweating put your foot on it.” (Applause.) Sweating was the curse of London, and would be the curse of Melbourne and Ballarat if the working men allowed the system to grow. What could be done for the dock laborers of London ? Why, elevate them by changing their position for the better. There was another remedy, and that was a strike. Of ceurse men were at

times feckless in the matter of strikes, and instances were known where men should have refrained from taking this course. If the dock laborers of London could only get 5d per hour, and no guarantee for 2s per day, then he thanked God for the strike. Was there anything needless in the present strike in London f No! All Britons cried out that it was right, just, and true, and he prayed that God might help it. (Loud applause.) He granted that some of the strikers, perhaps many, were a bad lot. They were poor, ignorant, and drunken. It was said that these men should he humble, but he asked had they not shown forbearance? He, when in London, often marvelled at their wonderful forbearance. He had seen many of them together watching a gentleman go by—a man dressed in fine clothes with a shiny hat, a neat cane in his hand, and a heavy gold chain. These starving wretches, however, looked at the prosperous man, sullenly lowered their eyes and allowed him to pass unmolested. He (the archdeacon) often wondered why they did not tear him to pieces. Was this not forbearance under very trying circumstances? The lecturer then went on to refer to the march of the unemployed through the streets of London. There was, the lecturer said, no good “tinkering” with Liberalism or Conservatism: They wanted men to act —and act quickly. The archdeacon concluded his address

by referring to the time when people will recognise that their highest duty is not to acquire riches, but to discharge their obligations to their fellowmen, however humble their sphere might be.