MR. TOM. MANN'S HARANGUE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 242, 6 July 1908, Page 7

MR. TOM. MANN'S HARANGUE.

HOT TALK AT THE OPERA HOUSE. ' Mr. Tom 'Mann prefaced his address to a crowded meeting at the Opera House last ovening by an extended reference to tho strike. lie stated that there wore' a number of the strikers on the platform; whom tho audience would be glad to see, and tho secretary of tho Union (Mr. Andrew Collins) was in tho body of the hall. Ho was referring to the strike because of, their presence, and; becauso it was a matter of particularly urgent public interest. It was amazing to find how-very .few, people under-; stood what tho real demands of' tho men were. The men had chafed under an award which mado them work 51 hours in a week. In other , trades the I .hours had been brought down to 48, and even 45 hours. He referred to the conditions of,their work—getting-'out of bod at 3 a.m. was not altogether pleasant; (Voice: Shama.) Tho bakers were anxious to comply with every point of the machiriory of the law as provided—whether l that was wise or. not was not tho question, but they did so comply, and desired that at tho Conciliation Board, where both sides wore represented, tho matter should be discussed. This tho, master bakers had deliberately refused, and insisted' that tho case' should go to tho Arbitration Court. Ho ■thought'that it would wci^h-with a great many peoplo to know that the masters had refused to take tho caso to tho Conciliation Board. A new award was fixed "by those who ard not considered to be too friendly to tho workers." As regards the minimum wage, ho thought that many of those present would bo surprised to realise how very low this wage was fixed. In Melbourne,' wliero the prices of commodities wore fj-om 10 to 15 per cent, less than hero, and rents from 20 to 25 por cent, less, the minimum bakers' wage was £2 145., as against £2 Ss. for third hands in "Wellington. The Melbourno wook, moreover, was only 48 hours. 1 "With regard to hours of work, Mr.. Mann declared that tho bakers of Italy had established a 48 hours' working _ week, and had wiped out all night work in their trado. It could bo wiped out hero with direct and positive advantage to the men,, and with no disadvantage to the. community. His own astonishment was that the' men were so exceedingly moderate in their claims. Ho had'been for a, good many years an . advocate of a six hours' working day and thirty - six hours' week. Years .ago, the miners of Durham and Northumberland were'working no more than 33} hours por 'took, v Tlio Wellington master bakers had;said to tho men: "If you wish to strike, strike, and we'll fill your places to-morrow." Tlinv had treated them with that, degree, of efFrontry which the capitalists were accustomed to' show when they had got tho upper hand of ■

the operatives. The employers had said that within 48 hours they woidd certainly be able to produce all tho bread they wanted. So • far they had not been able to supply requirements. The Union's pickets reported that, in spite of the extra pay offered, the' masters had been compelled to resort to all sorts of odds and ends of labour. They had been to the Old Men's Home, and had got somo paralytics from there, and these wore engaged now in one or two of the biggest bakeries in making bread. • Other master bakers had .wired to their past co-workers, and one had como from Stratford and another from Wanganui to make, bread for them. Tho present striko was part and parcel of tho great class.war—just, o'no little skirmish in the universal war. between the classes that was coming. Mr. Mann read tho names of four bakers, who were_ selling bread produced under union conditions, and stated that it was intended to open a co-operative bakery in Webb Street. Ho urged tho workers to adopt and oxtend the co-operative system. After,: declaring that, in his opinion the men's demands were'too moderate, Mr. Mann asked all those to hold up their hands who were in- sympathy with the men's stand. 'A large.number of hands went up, and no ■ one had the,temerity to obey a second invitation to express disapproval of the strike.

. A STATEMENT CONTRADICTED. Tho statement that men from the Old Men's Home have been given employment is strongly ; denied by Mr. H. F. Allen, secretary, and Mr. W. A. Kellow, president, of the. Bakers' Industrial Union of Workers. ' It was originally alleged that Mr. Kellow was employing an inmate of the Old Men's Home. < ■ Mr. Allen gives the rfollowing explanation of this story: An inmate of the Home, who ■worked for Mr. Kellow many' years ago, camo ito him and offered his assistance: He stated ithat Mr. Kellow had always been ,to him i a most considerate employer, and he would ; ;ibo glad to give him any help in* his powor. ;For this purpose'he had obtained a permit ■ 'from"tie Home to come and work. Mr. ' Kellow thanked him, but told, him that; ho could not possibly accept his services. It [is supposed that the man had first spoken ito some of the operatives, expressing his [opinion 1 of ;.thoir .action in striking, and | telling ithem of his own intention., He did tnofe do any work, and no other inmate of the Home, Mr. Allen states, has been em- | ployed by any baker. \