Waimate Workers’ Union.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 235, 29 July 1902, Page 3

Waimate Workers’ Union.

A general meeting of ille V'aimate Workers’ Union was held on Saturday evening last in the Foresters’ Hall, when a considerable number of members were present. The president (Mr J, Smith) occupied the chair. The minutes of the previous meetin" were read and confirmed, and inward and outward correspondence was read and received. The secretary (Mrßorcham) gave in his reportre canvassing the northern part of the district, which was coniidered satisfactory. Correspondence was read from the Hon. T. Y. Duncan, Minister of Lands, re workmen’s homes at Waikakahi, stating that the land was surveyed and the ballot would be taken at an early date. During discussion regret was expressed that the delay was causing very considerable inconvenience to intending applicants. The following resolution amending rule 1 of the Union was carried — " That the word ‘ Animate ’ bo erased and the word ‘ Canterbury ’ be substituted.” The president, in supporting the resolution, very strongly urged upon the members the necessity of the alteration, as a large number of members were residents of the northern part of the district, and wore put to considerable inconvenience in the work of the Union. The president at considerable length refuted the slanderous statements alleged to have been circulated by prominent officials of the Farmers’ Union re the price of threshing, which he declared that the Workers’ Union had nothing at all to do with, as far as raising the price per bushel was concerned. That question reited between the millowners and farmers, as the "Workers’ Union had no grievance with the fanners at present, and he urged upon the members of the Workers’ Union, when any farmer taunted them with it, that this Union had no intention of raising the price of threshing to the farmer. He said bo deeply regretted that such unscrupulous and unfounded statements should be made, and that such designs should be made against the Workers’ Union, as it was inimical to their interests, and he would not allow it to go unchallenged, but vigorously denounced such conduct emanating from the heads of the Farmers’ Union. But he (the president) could, in hisopinion, see through the designs of those so-called gentlemen. As an instance, one of their officials seme time ago wrote out a petition and headed it with his own signature and took it around among the farmers in the district where he resides, requesting them to sign it, to reduce the ploughmen’s and other employees’ wages from 12J, to 15 percent. Therefore the president urged upon the rank and file of the Workers’ Union to beware of such men, and he was somewhat astonished that the farmers should elect such sweaters to office to govern their affairs. The president urged upon members the necessity of sinking their individualism and advancing to collectivism, which principle is the true brotherhood of man, and he quoted one of the greatest statesmen the world had ever seen, the Eight Hon. Hon. Joseph Chamberlain : —“But in order to keep the trade and position we .have got that we may develop in proportion as our population increases, employers and employed must do their utmost, and must not go backward, but must keep alive to the spirit of the times ; and for the working men, they all must do something, they must have their part (their part so long as they are working men) to develop ihe practicability of their labour. I have always recognised fully, as every sensible man must, the right of the working man to endeavour to better his position, to get the highest wages his trade or calling can afford, and for that purpose he is perfectly justified in co-operating with his fellows, and as far as trade and labour unions are a means of enabling working men to combine in order to bargain in fair terms with their employers as to the rate of remuneration for thsir labour, trade and labour unions have, and always will have, my hearty support.” Therefore the workers of Canterbury could snap their fingers at these socalled gentlemen who had slandered them and their union.