Work and Wages.

Otago Witness, Issue 1417, 18 January 1879, Page 20

Work and Wages.

The distress among the working classes at Home is being intensified by strikes. The cable messages elsewhere give particulars t>f several fresh strikes among colliers, ironworkers, and railway hands, and the . men are being supported by the funds of aft the London Trades Unions and by : special contributions. This indicates a determined and united struggle against the reduction of wages to starvation. ! j)oint, and the men are doubtless' sup- ; by writers of the stamp of Mr JTobley, in the belief that capital is endeavouring to reap unfair advantages -jx&n the depressed state of trade, and to Haw on the working classes the whole "burden. It may seem at first sight a suicidal policy, aa the chances seem much against the working men being able %o hold out long enough to reap substaniiafc as#antages. But it may be that I -things have come to such a pass that mothing/but a determined and obstinate will prevent millions from falliug into a -state of hopeless misery from insufficient tfages ; and if strikes become general oil, this ground, a large amount of public sympathy will be secured for ike men. Of course, if the men have taken I *' wrongestimate of what it is pos- • Bible for the mabters to pay, they must in ta^Tend suffer for it. But they have a -right .to make a fight for a rate of pay that will give them something more than a bare subsistence, and for hours of labour that will not intensify the evil by Aicreasing the over-supply. It cannot be, supposed that' the masters are always " xight and the men always wrong.