“The Press” In 1865

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30941, 23 December 1965, Page 12

“The Press” In 1865

December 23 WORKING MEN'S ASSOCIATION.— The opening meeting of this Association was held yesterday evening at the Canterbury Hall. ... Mr Worth addressed the meeting. He said that the Association having been formed, its present object was to put the rules before the meeting, to explain why it was formed, and to invite co-operation. The working men and the other classes were so bound together that each without the other would be like a steamer without paddles or screws. . . Mr. St. Quentin was the next speaker. ... He said the greatest question they had to consider was that of education, in which working men were deficient, because in the old country the hours of labor were so protracted that they had no time left for

the improvement of their minds. . . Speaking of elections, he stated his opinion that the ballot was the only cure for coercion. Every man should have a vote for the district in which he resided, and it would be one of the duties of the Association to see that-all its members were placed on the electoral rolls. An injustice was done to the working classes through their not being sufficiently represented; only two classes were represented, the sheep farmers and the merchants, and the labouring classes who were the heaviest taxpayers, were entitled to have their share of representation, of which at present they had none at all. All these questions would be discussed by the Association; but he repudiated the charge that they wanted to set class against class.