"TYRANNY OF THE WORKER."

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 128, 1 June 1908, Page 6

"TYRANNY OF THE WORKER."

The Melbourne '■( Age reports that for a considerable time dissatisfaction has existed between the representatives on the Wages Board and the members: of the Stonemasons' Society, and the friction culminated in Messrs A. Bromlie, L. Cohen, M. Evans and G. Sheldon retiring from the Board. Mr Bromlie, who was the first to resign: stated that the internal working of the society did not meet with his approbation, and he was not going to tolerate the tyranny of the worker aliy longer. The members of his society had found fault with the Wages Board's determination, although, in his opinion, it was a remarkably excellent finding, and* better than he and his colleagues expected. He had been a member of the board since 1901, and had assisted to raise the wages from 9s 4d to lls per day during that time; yet many of the men were dissatisfied, and said they should have accomplished more. "They wanted a perfect paradise,"" said Mr Bromlie, "and wore never satisfied." During hisconnection with the Wages Board he had assisted to secure the abolition of Siece-work and the doing away with ifferent rates of pay for two classes of work, which he contended was the greatest Godsend that had ever been secured for the trade. He had also worked hard towards the reduction of the hours of working, to forty-four. "Yes," said Mr Bromlie, "I have resigned my seat on the Trades Hall Council; Wages Board? and Operative ■Masons, and I also intend to resign from the eight hours' movement, with which I have been identified for many years. lam done with the growling workers, and I shall have nothing more to-, do with trades unionism."