LABOR.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2058, 12 June 1890, Page 3

LABOR.

i On last Monday evening a meeting was held in Timaru in connection with trades-unionism. His Worship , the Mayor oeeupiud the chair and spoke in condemnation of land monopoly. Mr John Lundoh, of Waimate, stated that 270 had joined in that town.

Mr Parker, President of the Trades knd Labor Council, said their mission must work to their advantage as Well as that of their employers; that the unionists were their best friends, (Hear, hear.) Of course capitalists denounced the unions, they were “ absurd; ” there was “no necessity for them.” But look at Capitalists themselves, they combined, in all directions.for their own-interests; why should not the working men do the same ? (Applause.) When he heard 'of the low wages some ,men were earning in this town he could only think dhem the wages of slavery, One man be heard of worked 95 hours a week for £2—about 4d"an hour; another worked 70 or 80 hours, for 255. The man who offered sucti wages surely, could not do ; so without blushing, (Hear, hear, and ‘‘ Push him over the breakwater.’’)-—No; they must not think", of I ,any, sort of violence. They must use fair, means, and if it'became necessary to use the strongest of fair means the-employer must give way. The wages in the bakery trade, that was the trade he referred, to, were a crying shame to the mien who paid them.- Another trade in the same condition here was the tailoring-~(his own trade), It seemed that sweating was carried on here to a fearful extent, young women working till all hours of the night.-.. People .should ..not give any assistance to people who carried on this nefarious trade. ( Hear, hear.) It behoved the workers to be up and doing to put down these povertybreeding practices. They would use every means in their power to avoid strikes if possible. He hoped their mission would be productive of great good, and that in a short time he would hear that unionism in Timaru had grown to such an extent as to be able to make great changes in the rate of wages in the place without any trouble or difficulty. (Hear, hear, and applause.)

Mr Bidmaade, secretary to the Trades and Labor Council, after' speaking on the rise and progress of labor organisations, proceeded to say that the Christchurch Council now represented 16 or 17 societies with a total membership of about 3000, and there were others and older ones at Dunedin, Wellington, and Auckland. When any dispute arose the Central Council came in, and appointed a deputation of members not connected with the trade in which the dispute existed, to act as independent arbitrators, and acting coolly and with a' desire to be fair to both parties, dis- j putes were arranged which could not’

have been arranged at all by the parties interested, each of whom probably was more or less angry with the 1 other. The Trades Council therefore was of as much use to the employer as to the employed. He protested against attacks on capital. If they did anything to injure capital they would be only killing the goose that laid their golden eggs. Mr Bidmeade then went on to advise his hearers that in the selection of officers they should put all personal feeling aside and appoint their level-best men, and also put in harness some of the

younger men who showed intelligence tact, and go, as these would be often up and doing when older fogies would be inclined to let things take their course. The fight between the squatters and the shearers in Queensland was settled for the shearers without any appeal by the Maritime Council refusing to handle the squatters’ wool for shipping. The attitude of the unions towards politics was that they were determined to hold aloof from general polities; they would have nothing to say about freetrade or protection, about property tax or matters, but in such matters as hours of labor, factory inspection, anything directly bearing upon labor, they would assert themselves. Another political question the unions must attend to was the election of legislators, and he explained how the adoption of the Hare system would enable unionists to secure the return of a number of candidates of their choice, which they could not do at present, - Aplin asked whether it was right for the Geraldine County Council to object to pay 7s for a day’s casual work, and, still more, was it right for a member to say if they fossicked round they could get men for 5s a day ? He condemned writing “ pauper ” oyer the heads of patients in the hospital who could not pay, and was glad there were some humane members on the Board who would not have it. He then spoke ef the acsom-

modation tor employes on stations, and occasioned some laughter by the descriptions of the abominable places some station-owners provided for their men—their stables and dog-kennels were palaces in comparison. He had lost a good situation as manager of a large property in which there were large stables and kennels, because he refused to put up a mere shell, with “ three-decker ” bunks for 30 men.

This subject ought to be enquired into, and a royal commission would find as much to sicken them as a sweating commission could-do. He wished the union movement success, and was glad to see such men as

Bishop Julius and Archbishop Redwood fighting the workmen’s battles. After, others bad; spoken; a jbranch of the union was formed and 32 enrolled. The usual yotes of thanks terminated meeting.