KNIGHTS OF LABOR AT EKETAHUNA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3619, 20 September 1890, Page 2

KNIGHTS OF LABOR AT EKETAHUNA.

,/i;pnbji() v the j Town HaU/-B)JGfeßun»fi!''oJi J ' , Friday l ] September 19th,' sixty persons being :■ present. "-The object of the meeting ; was toform a branch of the' Knights of Labor.. The .chair.,was ..occupied. by Mr H.-Aniin, who, after a brief Bpeeoh; introduced Mr T, 0. D'Arpy, who read ttie preamble and explained that'the". present 'muster "in" Great' Britain was and eight ' thousand strong,' In'.'Glasgow they were making members, at the rate of 100 poYmonth. \ Brandies had been i started in AubMand, Wellington, Palmerston, - Masterton, ; Cartertbn,> Feilding and Otaki, The speaker maintained that UiOMastoo'-muoh ease" and .too .'much poverty; side ; by side,. in the. world.: Were, the capitalists satisfied .with a : fair interest on- itheir capital-? "No I. If,the working men bad a fair share for'their labour, capitalists would not be so rich nor the labourers so poor. 1 It was time that,such,a state of things' were altered: They wished for their just rights, to place men in. parliament-who would fairly repre-' 'sent'them/who would tak for their interests. who had been .returned,,so far had been capitalists." 1 ' What could the work-. ing. expect froin 'l'thenii Hb'urged'' them not to return'such mem. buttliose who would work for the masses. He maintained that all should stand' offon'fpUtform. He admitted th'at'labour in New Zealand had very little to complain of. There; should, however, be a land tax in. lieu; of a- property tax. Any man born to ■ the world should have sufficienUand to make a living out of.'' if' aAnan ; took up a section of \mi j;.and..,4mprqyed... it, another alongside; of him ~ did ; npt improve. The tlicland was I taxed. that just?-No I ■Then; thore wa'a" bne law for tb'e ri6h, < another. loathe poor. If a manias injured'in' bis should, bea : law to force the ernpTpyer|Q'',recoin-j pense'him. He -then spoke on the system of tenders,: and urged :that all work should be done' by day labour.' Np'ohildren; ffibiild,'b'f!'aUoj\v|dltoj jaioM-tjimo.^ adopted on'the] cooperative,; !.Byst,em.| InEngland it'had<alwaya b'eeafound; riglits'for'tue sek'esr'df'a'lvonian did; shefshould be paid the same.J He 'then referred to the eight h''our : ' r system. . 'The Knights. of'}Laboufrdidi>not'j i :believe[.'in; strikes] (; Us they? n.lteWrl b, impoverishithe..9ountry. This organi-j sation was in the'int'erests of labour.! All" iouut J ''joiif ii °The" most of tliflr object^'were'to 1 be ■attained - : by legislation; ,:■'—;■■''. .. .• ;; : . ■'.'' i 1 ;Mr ; ,Hpgg u sa;f 'that; ,althpugh c he had identified' hims'elf'J.withr.the; Kriiglits 'of Labor he was hot.a member, He intended to join after i the'ele6tiofl l w , a& over'." 1 Itt'a week or two hewduld come forward to address them on political subjects. He wisbedtci tlraj ;tbeirattflntion to one subiobt,%d tuatt|ls the revolutionwing'of the wKolVworld, The strikes were Constantly 'breaking out in all M&MM in) world. It had been ;aißr|p?esenjedMat the strike- was !due.l)? tlieflabW olpes, .and not to the employers/of difficulty, he by the shipowners. Theftfike. 'originated beoause th?.- shipopprl|combined with employ* of with the objeol.'ot destroying the Unions; In New Zealand the Union Steam Shipping Company, were monopolists. They had grown in a. few years from a the largest Companies in the ; '.tvorld.' For every .six saloon passenge'SHtavelling, Ave fyere\|aid,ipr by the government. That Nvas^Wtot|thejOoinpany going. The 6ovein'ment*of the Colony .h'adh been identified with that company.;, Another monoply from union the cokmj Buffered frorp was the Banking companies,; and the Fire Jnsuranee • Companies,,, ..Why had ,thes,e;been tolerated'?' ;j The' Govern- • "|oj on the subject;.! success. Why? Bp3auß'e' tliere''were so many_ in the •House who had«an%terest in them, The previous speaker ;had. "referred to.theafruggle 'of capital all over the World.; He referred to the docklaborers in;• London. A few yearßjago.suelCa'' strike could nojt have'' taken vplace. Tho practical sympathy, of. the Australian laborers rose-'-- up in front of the wealthiest"- ..<■■.capitalists and assisted their brethren.., Tho reason"' 1 the' j'apitalipts of Great Britain ,\t.Uh\ the capitalists; of Australia was'to break dqwn the Unions, and ho honored tho laborers of Australia and New Zea.\ }ai]d! for- the action they had taken. Mr D'Arby ■ then stated that he was prepared to answer any question that might b'onut tojiirn,',"'./. In answer to a ; question he stated that a small.percentage.of sixpence per-quftter. per,member went to tho general assembly of America. Employer's 'were- 'tot 1 debarred from joining the order,, - '; .A. vote of thanks to the'chair terminated the. proceedings,/'twelve remaining behind to join the movement, •- •' •' . .•:'' !!.'■'.. '■! : ■'■