MR EWINGTON AND 'THREATENED LIBERTY—A COLONIAL DANGER.'

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 136, 10 June 1898, Page 2

MR EWINGTON AND 'THREATENED LIBERTY—A COLONIAL DANGER.'

(To. the Editor.)

, Sir, —1 feel that I will be intruding on your usual generosity by taking up more of your space, but really I cannot allow Mr Ewington to remain in his present state of mind without saying something to appease his ularm.

I had not the remotest idea when 1 wrote my last letter that I' wafc labouring under anger or 'blinded with passion,' and I sh6uld n6t haveknown it had Mr Ewington not said bo, for 1 w.ifj under the impression when I sat clown to pen ray communication that I was as cool as the proverbial cucumber; but probably my being half an Irishman and half ."N Tew Zeaiander, the former has predominated, and the Hibernian fluid oozing out at, my finger tips has produced its results in my letter. This is not my fault but. misfortune, and I hasten to say that it was far from my thoughts to give personal offence to Mr Ewirigton, and regret very much if I have unwittingly done so. But while saying thin with al] my heart, Mr Ewington will admit there are times when One is compelled to take off the gloves, and the subject I undertook to criticise was of so misleading .and mischievous v character, that nothing but Nature's hands cduld deal with it. and therefore there was nothing left but to bit out straight from the shoulder; and I said not a word that J cannot substantiate.

Mr Ewington, under the above Jmpfoifdie heading, denies that he madeline of Ibe statements applied to him. lie simply astoun,dfl me. when he says so. I have the pamphlet here before mo, and not only the remarks which I cited but the whole contents of the publication is written in the name bellicose .strain. 1 produce, however, the original paragraph (6) referring1 to defeated Labour candidates, and let my readers judge for themselves. There is only one defeated Labour candidate on 'our Board, and a blind man could pick it in one. This is it: 'The Act in question Js a symbol of perpetual industrial war. It has been used as an instrument of political patrouftfffi to labour, and of defiance to capital. Defeated Parliamentary labour candidates have been consoled with- seats on Conciliation Boards.'

The other charges I made arc on all f6ur« with this, and any person can Kfc for themselves by obtaining- a ?opy of the pamphlet. Mr TCwington produces the old story about 'paid agitators.' Who are the paid agitator* he refers to? If he is not merely playing1 to the gallery, it is inenmbent- upon him to show up those undesirable persons. Does he mean the secretaries of. our unions? If do docs, may 1 ask what possible right he has to speak of them in such an obnoxious manner? Was lie not himself secretary of the Employers' Association nt a salary of so much a year. Jar ahead of anything the tinion seci-'taries can hope to pet? And being so, wan he not as much of a 'paid agitator* as anybody else. No secretary of a union can move without, the authority of the union itself, and ho merely docs his duty. Docs Mr Ewington think for a moment that the workers are to stand with bowed head while gentlemen in his position can do and say what they please. If so, he misses the mark egregiously. The industrial classes are asking for nothing more that fairplay, and Mr Kwinglon can call us what he. likes; but we will lip-lit for our rights. On the other hand does he class myself aa a 'paid agitator.' If he does let me inform him that although 1 have been many years a prominent worker in connection with* unionism, 1 have never received —nor would I accept — a penny piece for my services; and though 1 necessarily lost a good deal of time and put up with some incon* venience to light the cause of the bakers at the late Board proceedings, 1 would not take a shilling-, though presst-d by the Union to do so, and 1 am n poor man. My victory was my reward, and dearer to me than any pecuniary benetit.

Mr Ewington's reference to the unfavourable criticism-by the press on thoi Conciliation Act simply repeats himself, for these ooramentvS were made just subsequent to the seamen's dispute. But 1 challenge criticism on the mnnnp.r in which the Act was worked by myself recently, where I had the largest number of employers (52) yet brought before a Conciliation Board since their inception to conciliate, and succeeded in doing so, and not only this, but 1 emerged from the proceedings with 52 friends more than I had before, who were originally my opponents. Have I not, then, vindicated the law, and shown to the public ut large, that by proper handliug I have placed the Act on a solid foundation, and worthy of a place in the statutes of New Zealand as an instrument properly introduced for the benefit of my fellow workers? 1 pau.se for a reply. Mr Ewington threatens to evoke the aid of the pulpit. Now, something whispers to me. that I was never cut out lor a parson; but I guarantee Mr Ewington that if he can make, arrangements for a pulpit some Sunday afternoon for us both, 1 will occupy it in turn, and 1 will further guarantee him that 1 will convince my congregation beyond all shadow of doubt that in the matter of 'free' labour, whk'h has apparently caused Mr Ewington so much agitation, he has hatched out a mare's nest, and that in his frantic appeals to every newspaper in the city to agitate to so 'amend' the Act as to make it applicable to both 'free' labour -as well as unions, he has been beating the winds, for there is not one word hi the Act which gives precedence to unionists; nnrt the. Free Labour Association at Napier has exactly the same right as trade unions to plnc'e any grievance they might have before a Botfe-d. There is no distinction made in the Act itself therefore there is nothing to amend, and thus the scaffold has completely fallen from under Mr Ewington; and niter all his nonsense about 'threatened liberty,' 'colonial danger,' and other amusing expressions, he is compelled to fall back upon the only sound objection he has yet made to the Act, which appeared in his previous letter—that it is the 'abuse' of the Act he protests against, and not the •use' of it—and here I will join hands with him with pleasure. lii conclusion, I may say that during Hie past if.xv days T have received some letters from unknown friends, one oven from Waikato, of a most kind and complimentary character, upon my humble efforts. In the position, which i occupy, these exM'pKsions of kindness are exceedingly ratifying to me, and I heartily thank hose gentlemen who sent them forl^pir thought-fulness, and I can assure, hem that should occasion ever require it. 1 will always be found following that beautiful motto which adorns the

slight alteration), an! using my .{2* For the cauue that lacks assistance fs 3 ass? .rwiil^ And thd good that I can do. ' ■• - I am, etc., -,■■;«.";■

JAMES HE6AN.