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PUBLIC MEETING.

The Labour Question*'

A public meeting under the auspices of the Masierton Assembly of the Knights of Labour was held in the Theatre Royal last (Wednesday) evening. There was a large attendance of the public, including quite a number ot ladies.

The chair was occupied by Master Workman, Mr T. E. Price, of Masterton. On the platform were also Messrs Hogg and Earnshaw, M,H.R.'s, and the delegates to the Conference which has just concluded its sitting. The Chairman, in a few words, referred (o the rise and progress of the Knights in this colony, and called upon Mr Walter Hill, the single tax advoca'te, of Wellington, to address the meeting. Mr Hill, who was received with applause, referred' at some length to the political situation in this colony at the present time. The legislators of the colony were required to devise some means of taxation which would raise the necessary revenue. The Single Tsx.-Society had Covered" a means in the tax on ground rents. Tho wage earners of the Colony paid the Customs duties in the past. The Property Tax was an exceptionally bad one in the eyes of the single taxers, because it was a class tax. They found oa investigation that the same persons who paid the Customs duties, contributed the greater amount of the Property Tax. From stamp duties a considerable amount of revenue was derived, a large portion of which was also contributed by the wage earners. The wage earners again paid the beer duty, because they drank the most beer. He contended that it was these taxes which had brought about the existing depression. The Colony was fast hastening to that condition which was the unfortunate lot of older countries. He was glad to find, however, that there was a turn iu the tide of affairs. The object of the single tax " cranks " was to turn the tide of taxation into the proper groove. He believed the present legislature was travelling in the right direction. The desire of single taxers was that ground rent should be taxed. The question was now engaging the attention of thinking men in all civilised countries, particularly in America and England. In conclusion he expressed the belief that they would yet find the single tax " cranks " a powerful body. (Cheers). Mr Earnshaw, M.H.R., was the i next speaker. He said that although he was not a member of the Knights of Labour, he was a twin brother (hear, hear)". He ha I been sent to Parliament as a working man, and he was proud of it (appl iuse). He congratulated the constituents of Masterton in having sent uj their representative a working man's friend (hear, , hear). There was one thing about IMr Hogg—that which was in him would come out (laughter). He did not remember a time in the history of the Anglo-Saxon race, since William of Normanby went to England, that the working men and working women had such an influence as they had at the present time (hear, hear). He referred to the victory achieved by Sir George Grey in Australia on the question of one man one vote, and expressed the belief chat this was the turning point in the affairß of Australia. He (the speaker) had the pleasure when he was a candidate to aanounce that he was a Socialist, and he believed that his victory was an expression of the opinion of the majority of the people in the colony. He urged upon those present to give their earnest support to the Liberal Ministry, even though they might think they were goiing wrong (hear, hear). They were trying to put the burden of taxation upon the shoulders which they thought were able to bear it

(hear, hear). He did not think the colony was yet lipe for a Single Tax. He would like to make ■ reference 10 the Labour Bills, which they were determined to place upon the Statute boobs of the Colony (hear, hear). They would no doubt find opposition in that obsolete Chamber, the Upper House, but with the people behind them the Government were determined to carry the Bills. He thought the Government had undertaken rather too much, however. He would have preferred to have seen a few Sills brought forward and forced through. He was not a great speaker but was only giving expression to wbat was within him. He hoped to see the working men of the Colony yet receiving their rights, (cheers). Mr Hogg, M.H.R., who was received with .:heers, said it gave him infinite pleasure to see such a large audience present. He was proud to say he belonged to the Knights of Labour, which at the last elec-

tion had formed an important factor in the return of tbe representatives of the people who were determined to revolutionise the Colony (cheers). The platform of the Knights of Labour was a wide one. Its objects were to put down monopoly on one side and to do away with idleness on the other. There were two classes in society, one which monopolise! the wealth aud the other which relied on its own labour for its subsistence. He had not come to

refer to tho question of poverty and wealth. This would be actended to by the Legislature. Since he had been sent to Wellington ho had been studying globules, and stone walling, and counting out, (A voice: And Bellamy's!) Yes and Bellamy's (laughter). He found that there was a lot of time wasted. Parliamentary duties were hardly what he expected There was a considerable amount of circumlocution. In that wellregujated factory known as the Parliamentary buildings, they had men with vested rights and large salaries, who did their work with the utmost symmetry, but who were exceedingly costly. (Laughter). If a man required money, the passage of accounts from one department to another, took no less than a month. (Laughter). Then again, there were too many books kept, which created such a large Uivil Service. He contended

that the people of the Colony were maintaining a stafl for which there was uot work. The Government printing office, again, would make a grand fac tory. (Laughter). His experience for years had been that the revenue was expended in useless documents. (Hear, hear). There • was also that splendid edifice, the Mount Cook Gaol, which would make a fine Governor's residence. (Hear, hear). He did not think this building would ever be filled. He iioped the time would yet arrive when the present system of treating criuie would be completely revolutionised. He believed that if

they had brutes to deal with they should give them brutal punishment, He had recently visited the Mount Cook Gaol, and had then concluded, through having seen tbe cells for solitary confinement, that the lash would be a preventative of crime.

(Hear, hear). The Governor of the Gaol agreed with him on this point. He beliaved that there were men in the Colony who went to gaol for nothing else but for winter quarters (laughter). He then referred to the new Land | Bill, which wis now before Parliament. He was pleased to say that . the Opposition was exceedingly weak. ; It usually the weak things which caused obstruction, and the Opposition on this occasion had endeavoured to obstruct the busioess by stonewalling. The Land'Bil) contained several im--1 portanc provisions. One of these ■ provisions was the fixing of the amount of land which one individual might hold. In the future one individual would not be allowed to hold more than two thousand acres. If he did be would be liable to a severe penalty. It was also provided that if a man conducted any kind of malpractice he would be liable to two years'imprisonment. (Mr Kenall : Why not hold the lash over hioi ?). He believed when the lash superseded imprisonment thoy would have that form of punishment. It was provided, further, in the Land Bill, that one . one run. He then read a statement which showed that thirteen gentlemer in the South Island owned over two and a-balf million acres of land. This state of things should not be tolerated. The land which should be providing an abundance of food for the people were locked up. The Friendly Societies' Amendment Bill would in all probability pass through all its stages. The reaason tor passing this Bill was that the Union Steamship Company had threatened to form a Society amongst its employees. If this Society had been formed, all large employers in the Colony would follow their example. Tne result would be that if an employee raised his hand to maintain his rights he would be subjected to dismissal and would have no further claim upon that fund to which he had perhaps contributed for the greater part of his life, (bear, hear). This showed the pernicious character ot the proposed Sociecy. The Adiil-" teration Prevention Amendment Bill was also likely to pass, which made provision for the proper retailing of bread. (Mr A. W. Renall here took exception to the provisions ot the Bill in question, and although ruled out of order by the Chairman, and requested to "sit down" by the audience, occupied the floor tor about five minutes.) Mr Hogg, resuming, stated that the Track Bill and the Employer's Liability Bill were also likely to pass. But the main question the Ministry had to deal with was the incidence of taxation. He believed that under the new Land Tax the Colony would prosper until it became the most flourishing of all the colonies. They had now in Parliament a body of fearless men, who were determined to do their duty to the working men of the colony. (Hear, hear.) He hoped at the close of the session to meet them again and giv9 them a fuller account of his stewardship. (Cheers.) Mr Mackay, District Organiser, referred at some length to the objects of the Order which he represented. The Masterton Assembly, he said, had quadrupled itself during the twelve months it had been in existence. There were now seventeen

Assemblies in the colony, with a membership of between 1500 and 1600. He believed the wage earners of the Colony had been brought to realise their position through the influence ot the Knights. There were very few towns now in the Wellington Province in which there were not Assemblies. They were about to establish an Assembly in Waipawa, the very seat of squatterdom. The Knights had been referred to by i certain newspaper not a hundred miles from Masterton as a parcel of dynamiters. He believed, however, that this charge had been sufficiently disproved by the members of the local Assembly. Their aims were peaceable, and their objects for the benefit of the masses in general. (Hear, hear.) The Conference which had just concluded its sitting, had been endeavoring to follow out the advice offered by Mr T. C. Williams in his letter to the newspapers, in that they had been trying to do away with all that was pernicious. He returned thanks for the cordial manner in which the delegates had been received in Masterton. In conclusion he moved a hearty vote of thanks to Messrs Hogg and Earnshaw, who had attended at considerable personal inconvenience. The resolution was carried by acclamation, and the two members having responded, tee gathering broke up with votes of thanks to the Chairman and the delegates of the Knights of Labour present.

SOCIAL GATHERING. After the public meeting a social gathering was held in the Temperance Hall. About a hundred persons sat down to a capital spread provided by Mr James Wickens, to which the fullest justice was done. Speeches were delivered by the members for Parliament, His Worship the Mayor, and others present, and the proceedings were diversified by songs, re.itations, etc. A most enjoyable gathering broke up shortly after midnight.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WDT18910730.2.6

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3873, 30 July 1891, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,973

PUBLIC MEETING. Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3873, 30 July 1891, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING. Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3873, 30 July 1891, Page 2

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