FEDERATED GUM-DIGGERS' UNION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8375, 1 October 1890, Page 6

FEDERATED GUM-DIGGERS' UNION.

At a meeting of guindiggers, held at the Wade, on Monday last, it was unanimously resolved to form a branch of the above union. The travelling organiser of the Auckland Trades and Labour Council addressed the meeting, pointing out how the diggers could, by judicious combination, the price of gum and lower the cost of stores lie said the diggers, because of their helplessness, were systematically fleeced by Auckland merchants who had formed a ring to rule the market. They offered very low prices, for the gum, and because they monopolised the channels of trade, the unfortunate digger had to give up to them tho fruits of his hard labour. They, tho middlemen, bought gum at, say, £4, which in London sold for three and four times that sum. Where did the difference go to ? It went into the pockets of merchants, middlemen, and money-lenders, who were banding themselves together all over the world to crush the spirit out of the workers, lie uryed them to unite, and then, instead of being under the thumb of storekeepers and town usurers, they could well their produce at its full market value. ; They could, for instance, transfer the whole gumdigging trade to agents of (inns who treated them fairly. As their organisation grew powerful, it could establish agencies in London and New York, besidos a branch co-operative store- on every iield. They must remember that justice had never yet been won withou'. combined action and determined deeds. 158 names were then handed in as member*, of the proposed union. Mr. Henry Lloyd, it highly - respected settler, was enthusiastically voted Mr. T. H. Dickson, of Lucas v sek, was elected secretary, empowered to travel and enrol new members. ■ Mr. Sais, of Dairy Flat, was elected vice-president, and Mr. Trevor Lloyd treasurer. Letters were received from various distant camps promising to join the. union. There are "200 diggers on the field. A set of rules was then read over and adopted. Some of the rules, boing of a most drastic character, are not to be put into operation until organisation is so complete as to make the powei of the union irresistible. The effect of these rules, it was mentioned, would undoubtedly be to bring the market under the control of the union. The union 13 to be represented in town by r Council, elected by the branches on the various fields. It is estimated that there are from 10,000 to 15,000 gumdiggcrs, whose average earnings do not exceed £1 per week. I Branches are to be opened all over the North, and every gumdigger is expected to join. The rules are now being printed, and then an organiser will be duly commissioned to travel round all the fields" and camps,