THE RAILWAY UNION.

Evening Star, Issue 8231, 31 May 1890, Page 2

THE RAILWAY UNION.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —It may be that lam doing wrong in replying to “ Well-wisher.” I often think that it would be far better to treat such effusions with silent contempt; but we don’t always adopt the best course. Happy thought! 1 was going to reply to the charges that he makes against our general secretary, but I won't; the best course is the best. Allow me to inform “ Wellwisher ” that we, the members of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants of New Zealand, are well pleased with “ the man Edwards,” and intend to stick to him until he does something that would lose him our support. —lam, etc,, Unity. Dunedin, May 80. SOCIALISM. TO THE EDITOB. Sie, —-I am much obliged to “ Inquirer ” for his kind allusion to my sermon upon this subject, preached last Sunday evening. That sermon was extempore (the third separate sermon I had preached on that day), and therefore, though well reported, was rather an abstract, as it appeared in print, than the whole of what I said. I was very careful in preaching to make clear that I fully recognised the necessity of practical effoit on the part of individuals, organisaand Governments to cope with the questions which present themselves for solution, but my desire on such an occasion was to lay down the basis and insist on the motive, upon which alone the efforts of all agents could hope to produce benefit all round, and therefore social. My chief object in writing now, however, is to say that I am quite at one with “ Inquirer ” in his desire to have a series of popular lectures delivered in our midst upon “the relations of capital to labor,” “the advantages and disadvantages of unions,” and other topics bearing upon the general question and I think leading men among the working classes themselves should come forward with their ideas. An outsider like myself can only have general notions, though I should be willing to throw in my word. It has been a grief to me ever since my coming to New Zealand that the necessities of my position so bind me down to ever-pressing details that I am quite unable, if other reason, to take any prominent part in public questions.—l am, etc., S. T. Dunedin. Bishopgrove, May 31.