OXFORD LABOR UNION.

Oxford Observer, Volume 1, Issue XXX, 8 February 1890, Page 3

OXFORD LABOR UNION.

A meeting m connection with this Union was held at the West Oxford Town Hall, on Saturday evening last, February Ist., when there was a very good attendance. Mr Priohard was voted to the chair, and briefly introduced Mr Parker, who said : Now that the objects of Unionism were becoming better understood, employers were beginning to see that there was no fear of their capital being menaced by injustice or extortion, and he hoped to gee the day when the machinery of the Amalgamated Unions would be so complete as to render the oppression of capital, or tbe extortion of labor, impossible. This

would be accomplished by the appointment of men of sterling character to represent them at the Council, and the appointment of a Board of Arbitrators, to whom could be referred all matters difficult of solution. The '■ truck " system could not be spoken of m too scathing terms as producing distrust and ill-feeling between workman and employer, and as robbing the bonaflde tradesman of his legitimate gains. He had lately been m Dunedin, and was sorry he could not co-upl'-ment his friends m Canterbury on being so zealous m the Union cause as they were m Dunedin. However, he hoped that the enthusiasm which he now witnessed was an earnest of what might be expected m the future. Hejwished to impress upon them the necessity of electing a man from their own ranks who would be sure to advance their in* terests m the House of Representative^. He reminded them that Unionism was spreading so fast and furious that nothing; could withstand it, and that m the end there would be a general reciprocity of feeling and action, not only throughout England and her colonies, but amongst all the English-speaking race, and perhaps even wider yet ; and, m the face of these tiemendous facts, he appealed to the men of Oxford whether it would be wise to refuse to join voluntarily m the ranks of the great army of workers which were moving along with such irresistible force that the time will soon come when they must fall m whether they liked it or not. The result of the appeal was that several names were added to the list of members, and the Union may now be considered to be firmly established. Cordial votes of thanks to the speaker and Chairman brought the meeting to a close. At a Committee meeting, held subsequently, it was decided to hold a public meeting at View Hill, on Thursday. 13th February, and that G. R. Gorton, Esq., be asked to preside thereat.