UNKNOWN

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2668, 23 July 1891, Page 4

UNKNOWN

J I Kil.M "1 11 <>« S < i'UI:l..-iMM)|-.-.T. I Sviinky, July 7. I N'uw tint the elections arc over, public nilere. t centres in the labour agitation. Nol content with the ilefeat which they h.i\o .'uill'ered in the Union-i-ts declare that they will stop the sli. ariiitr and plunge the southern colonies into all the horrors of a labour war, unless the l'astoralists admit that freedom of contract is an open question and is liable to lie surrendered at the bidding of the olliciniis oliicials of the Shearers" Union. The I'astoralists will meet them in conference provided it is made clear at the outset that there is no intention of depriving them of the n.ost important of their right'' ;i h free citizens or of forcing tlii-iii to brciiuie parties to a conspiracy asjainsl non-union workers ,iml employers. I'.'it, the shearers' representatives refuse lo "ive any such pledge ; and there is too iM.idi M-awn to fear lint they still entertain the hope iif dominating the leu ling inilusUy, an.l allowing it to In-, carried on only on 'Jicirowii terms, and subject any moment to u wholesale breaking of atrrecn,' nt'i whenever their bumptious and iiinbiiiuu.-; leaders should deem such a eoum- to be desirable. In short, the agitators are endeavouring to extort by pressure and intimidation priviUvjf a which the law does not, and cannot eonßr upon them, and to force themselves ir, a* uninvited third parties, to agreements l,:-rwi'.-ii employers and employed. l''or my own part, I .sympathise , with labour up to the point of equity. But 1 ;i'ii absolutely certain that no such privi--1.-Hi! as this can be safely conceded to any class, and I am therefore glad to ace that the I'aHtoralists, both here and in Melbourne, aro making a firm stand against Ihe attempted dictation. They arc certain to win here with much greater ease hhan in Queensland. Unemployed labour (thanks to the dislocation of industry iviused by the wronghcadedness <if the Unionists)'.is very abundant and whilst I write tlij I'ustoralist* ollic-s are be-

suited by shearers and roustabouts anxious to make engagements fur the season. 'Llierc are about 50,000,000 sheep in tincjlony. The Unionists claim that a Urge proportion, H.iy 20,000,000, will be shorn under Union rules, leaving say, .'{0,000,000 to In: provided for. Now, with good management, such as tlic l\istoralists' committee are in a position to secure, a good shearor can dispose of 10.000 sheep in tin: season. If this calculation is corr tut, IiOOO good shearers, or,say 4000 averse sdioarera are all that the I'astoralists t.eed to engage to render themselves independent, of the- Union. I believe llioy would not have the slightest difliuilty i" engaging donbio tho number. s-" great irf tho rush fur employment. If. therefore , , Iho i-hearers follow tlio ill advised and Miicidal counsel of tho foolish men, who are hounding them on to their loss, they will simply throw tl>o work into other hands. \Vor»o than that, th«colony will he Hooded with shearers for ail future time to come, on account of tin: liirac number of learners who will be grossed into tho service. It, is humiliating to see a {treat nrtr-i nidation ho stubbornly bent upon a course which cm only lead to self-destruction. The Sheurers' Union grew up from small b to its present strength alonsrKiile of freedom of contract. By thi exurci.su of tho smallest modicum of con.-ideration and reasonableness, it miirht go on increasing its power nnd inllii'jiiee. But instead of doing no it ha* stupidly set itself to destroy an element of irrcatc-i" strength nnd vitality tliim it-elf, A union atrujrj.'Hn',' for liberty commands tho sympathios of nil men worthy of tho uiiuio, and grows apace. ]>ut whun it union, in the prido of itpower, endeavours to destroy the liberty nl' nihi.TS, the oll'eot is diametrically opposite. It gets the sympathy and the ii:,si.vt.'niCL' of tho slavish and ignorant, lint tho lujrtility and thn opposition of the freo nnd enlightened. A Bishop of tho I'lnplish Church oncu declared he would rather sou I'Juglar.d fren tlinn fiober. With much greater truth may wo <lt;i:laie that we would rather nee Australia free than unionist, so long as unionism is interpreted to mean the unwarranted interfenco of union delegates in contracts between man and man, in- conscious con-piracy to secure a monopoly of work for union members. The c]<r. f i>>ii.; hive r'-ultrd in more (Ipp.i-.ilioni-i-. l.i-iiii- returiif-d th in Ministerialist.-. iii<.>ft! Proteetionints than Free Trad, r.-s and a very fonnidablo so called 1,-tboiii- party, which openly threatens to ex tort it.-; own terms from either of tin lit her parties which may h ipp.-u to hold limWi'l'. Tiiey can, of cours; , , do a great deal in thi.s way, provided they are not • iveklrsH and cxtiMvaijant in their i!--:n;iiids as to bi'insr about, a general .-Mini.iiialion, Tlic-re i.- ! grea*. dauber that tlii- tuny In) the casr , . Jdo not iiierin to : .iy Ih'it tho niernhcr.-i elect arc destitute • ■f i.-oiiiinon sense; but. I question whetbei they will have a fnir opportunity tc exerciso it. It niu«t he remembered I hat they do nut go into t.hr llou.iC! as free men, but as delegates bound hand and foot to resign if they should be rcijuired to do so by the organisations which have returned them, and that amoni; those who arc the most conspicuous and influential in directing the (U'oueuilinus of those organisations aie .■-.inie. of tho moat unreawnrilile and wrong headed of mortals. Already there have Iji.i-n formal rei|in-:-t ; !h it l/ihoiii- members should be I old nil" to ad I to the piestige of tlii; ; or that union, or in so'ii? other way commit nnunl.rr.-i to po-ttv Sectarian (politically and so.'ially.-no-religiou-;lv i-.-c-l.'i-i.in) moveiuent.-", which !>'■•• seckio:/ their own narrow ends with i.'.i'. any vi levence to the welfare of society as a whole. A:s 1 said last week, I believe that many of the Labour mem bers are far superior in intelligence and siingleiiess of purpose than those they have displaced and to others who have been fleeted; but they have tremcndoii' odds to fight against, and not the least of their dilliculties will come from the jealousies and pigheadedness of their own supporters.

The most serious of llk> misreprpsentations which the cause of this workers uiilli-rs from is perhaps tlint of the self.ilylr.l "Labour" press. To read these weekly cH'usions one would imagine that the working-man was an envious, rancorous, couueicncrless bcinjj, wlio revelled in dream;) of tyranny and spoliation, thinly covered with fulsome llatturius nf his own ap'-cial favonritics, find in wholesale ylnmlnri? of all whom lip derma his enemies —tho latter including all who do not f:ill down anil worship him. My own iv.ininn is that by this time the workingtii in must lie heartily sick of the mono* tiMiiiiH lan; of rancour an I Falsehood wli'iih is .served up to him, and must lonj for something a little more human and healthy. A tail , and reasonable presentment uf thuir case, showing some regard for the rights and liberties of <it|nT.i α-i \\\:.{ as for their own, would "(■curt: to the l.;)l,our oir initiations a vast amount of support which is now alienated, li'it I ((iiu'ition whcUier this can be expected until a whole-a'c. elcn.raneo his 1n. , ,-n made of the horue of parasites, adventurers, and w.p Ijhts who have fastened upon them, and who suppose that they can best secure their own position by abetting the follies and condoning -the oflenees of their dupes. To liu iufcsU'd with vermin i , ; always a sign of bad health ; but T am in hopes that there it suflicie.nt vitality in true democracy to rid itself of thtiao blood -uncking vampires. Politically tlnj position is unchanged, "i hi: Government, as foreshadowed last ". i_\:ii, will meet Parliament. Althnngh tlivy arc outnumbered by tiie iliic.it Opposition, it \:i impossible to s.iy what ronr." , the third party will tike, For the present n'zn they decline to accept tho ivriic,'iintion ..f th" Postinastcr-Or-ncral, wli'i inilfil to obtain a scat in Parliarurnt. Tlvs points tn n to leave <ilh'c.' in one body if ii"cf:«ary : but, on t.hr f. l !i •:• hand, lh"y arc in no hurry to ti.ro l, up the npongn before they arc I. --.ile-n. Th'- Lnhour, or third, p.uty n;-j nl-o in n jiiiiiMr nf.itr- of uncertainty. Thr-v

e r... ,;■ !■ .'i !<■ iipnti a d-liuite course u ill they Uii.iw what the (idvi-rninnnt intend tuJo. They held a ouicin meeting on SaUirdiy, Imt nothing senna to hale I;.-, it d.-linitc'.y decided beyond a (j.-iht.-iI determination ho to trim their .-nils ■■{-■• In promote the realisation of the " |il;itl'iirm " on which th'-y stand. Tin: money market remains stringent, ntiil the results (if tin: li.-itf -ye.irly bank balancing ji«—:t concluded are not alto-getlr-r satisfactory. Finns wit! 1 ample capital who have confined their operalions to legitimate business do notsiilTer ; but. speculators, who have bound themselves by heavy commitments in the hope lint inflated values would remain permamiit, and traders, who have ventured beyond their means in the hopi that banker! would always lie complaisant, are in a very different position. There is a L'ood deal of had business to he cut away" before the productiveness of the country <mii assert its power and bring back a return of solid piosperity. This is the proce.vi which is going on at present, and it need hardly lie said it is always .an unpleasant one; but it is very military, an<l tin; more complete and svarc-lii'nc; the overthrow of unsound imsiiKvrfi fin mop' .-nHiiml and prolonged will be the recovery. Money is very plentiful in the London market, jn.-it now, and intelligence of the launching oF the. New South Wales loan is emciiy looked for. If the Treasurer inbses tiiii opportunity- he is net. likely to have another this yea.-. Of eonrse the uncertainty of the political position tends to cause 'delay, as there o.in lie little doubt that the victory of the Labour candidates has caused great, disquietude among tin: Conservative fitiaiifi-.il magnates of the Old Country. Probably, however, the next wee.lc or two will see this prejudicial opinion removed.