VICTORIAN WORKING MEN AND THEIR FRIENDS.

North Otago Times, Volume 1944, Issue XXVI, 20 July 1878, Page 5 (Supplement)

VICTORIAN WORKING MEN AND THEIR FRIENDS.

(" Australasian.") The working nipn of Victoria have now an opportunity of reviewing, in the light of dear-bought expo«ience, tho political action of which they lmvo been tho main suuportois during the last year or two. tt seemed to them a very bright and splendid prospect opened to tliora a year ago by the programme of JVlr Berry and his colleagues. A war of extermination was to be fought against the capitalists, the large estates were to be burst up, and i tho golden reign of plenty and prosspority was to ensue. Even in January last, when tho cloud was already gathering and settling down, tho working classes listened with r&pturo to the frothy rant in which Messrs Uerry, Longmove, Patterson and Cc. gloated over thftir dismiss ils of tho civil servants, and B<iid thai each salary of .€l5OO a year that was saved (not referring, of course, /to to their own) meant fifteen salaries of LlOO each for tin* honest industrious working man. < t seemed very delightful then to see *' the nobs getting it;" and now, as they stand in idle groups about the stre ets, or hold melancholy meetings, or gr, in deputations to listen to the drivelling imbecility with which Mr Beny puts off their demands, or hang about in crowds around the relief woiks, waiting for- their turn to bo employed for a day or two, the working classes have leisure for meditating on the success of the policy of violence and communism they hailed with such applause. That policy showed tho capitalist and the property-owner that nothing was secure from aggreßsion, and that he held his pi operty merely at tho mercy of a gang of unscrupulous men, armod with the powers of the Government, and supported in their worst excesses by the bulk of the working men of the country. So far as he was able he restricted his investments, and left his money unemployed, or transferreo it for employploymeut to safer regions. Work became scarce, laborers and artisans were unemployed, the small trader found his business diminishing every day, and now all fcvl the sharpest pinch of poverty and distress, aggravated by the consciousness that they have brought it upon themselves