Trades Unionism.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6238, 10 June 1890, Page 2

Trades Unionism.

The meeting hold in the Sophia Street Hall last evening to hear the delegates from the Canterbury Trades and Council, Messrs Parker and Bidmeade, speak on trades unionism, was as well attended as it could have been, the hall being packed full, though the greater proportion of those present were standing. The mayor, Mr Boss, occupied the chair, and expressed his pleasure at being called on to preside at such a meeting. In some preliminary remarks he described and condemned in no measured terms the monopoly of the land secured by a few of the earlier settlers, and later by big companies, in South Canterbury, but pointed out that the remedy was now in the hands of the electors, of whom the working people formed the majority. “ Trusts,” or mercantile monopolies had been declared illegal by United States Courts, and similar judgments were needed against the great land monopolies jof Now Zealand. Ho then introduced the first speaker, Mr John Lundon, of Waimate, President of the Amalgamated Shearers and Labourers Union, who gave a short history of that organisation. It began life as a branch of the Australian Shearers Union, some four years ago, but the parent society failing financially the New Zealand branch was requested to carry on its existence independently. It was determined to do this, but the attempt was practically vain, and as senior officer he called a meeting at Wuimate in November last to decide whether he should return the subscriptions received or whether a fresh start should be made. The meeting was a large one, and it was decided to make a fresh start. The movement was now taken up with enthusiasm and soon there wore 270 members enrolled. This must bo considered a very encouraging result. (Hear, hear, and applause). In March last it was resolved to widen the basis of the union and include all classes of labour, as the shearer is a general labourer nine months in the year. They then adopted the idea of trying to amalgamate all the labour in the country on those lines, and with that object in view requested the Trades and Labour Council at Christchurch to send down delegates to assist in the work. The result of that application was the present visit of Messrs Parker and Bidmeade as lecturers and organisers to Waimato. It was then thought it would boa good thing to get these gentlemen to epeak in Timaru as there were many shearers as well as other labourers living here, hence the present meeting. The question of an amalgamated union had been discussed at great length at Waitnate, and the conclusion come to that it would strengthen the hands of both shearers and general labour to have but one union. Mr L undon’s lucid explanation was very well received. Mr Parker, President of the Trades and Labour Council, expressed bis pleasure at the hearty way he and his colleague had been received at the various centres in South Canterbury and Oamaru, and at their having been able to remove completely the impression among some of the employers that they were industrial firebrands, whose mission was to stir up feelings of animosity between employer and employed. Their mission was of quite the contrary nature, and if employers only inquired into their principles and analysed their rules, they would see that unionism must work to their advantage as well as that of the employed; that the unionists were their best friends. (Hear, hear.) This much they must say, however, that so long as they found fellow-workmen in tho miserable position some of them were in in Timaru, so long as God gave him breath he would raise his voice against it. (Applause.) The question of the day was the question of capital and labour. They would all agree that man must eat bread by the sweat of his brow; on the other hand the employer should not oppress the labourer. When labour has become plentiful in the past there had been nothing to prevent employers from obtaining labour at prices that would not procure the necessaries of life, and in consequence caused poverty and all the evils, including crime, that poverty entails. (Applause.) What was needed was some means for preventing extortion on the one hand and oppression on the other, and when those means had -been attained, they would have reached the pinnacle of their hopes. But unless the working men became united in the bonds of unionism hero and everywhere, until working men recognised their duty to take part in this great movement and stood together shoulder to shoulder, these hopes could not be realised. Of course capitalists denounced the unions, they were “ absurd there was “ no necessity for them. ” But look at capitalists themselves, they combined in all directions for their own interests ; why should not the working men do the same ? It behoved men to put their heads, their hearts, and their shillings together to obtain the j benefits they needed for themselves and their [ children after them, and when the capitalist I saw that in doing this the working men had brought about amity and respect and confidence between what were now antagonistic principles, they would have as much cause to bless unionism as the labourers themselves. It was no use looking to legislators to do this; they had looked to them too long already—(hear hear) —they must do their own work and see that their future was made brighter than their past, and act in such a way that their children could say of them, “ My father has done bis duty for himself and for me” (Applause.) When he heard of the low wages some men were earning in this town he could only think them the wages of slavery. One man ho heard of worked 95 hours a week for £2— about 4d an hour j another worked 70 or 80 hours for 255. Tho man who offered such wages surely could not do it without blushing. (Hear, hear, and “Push him over tho breakwater.”) —No; they must not think of any sort of violence. They must use fair means, and if it became necessary to use the strongest of fair means the employer must give way. Tho wages in the bakery trade, that was the trade he referred to, were a crying shame to the men who paid them. Another trade in the same condition here was the tailoring—(his own trade). It seemed that sweating was carried on here to a frightful extent, young women working till all hours of the night. People should not give any assistance to people who carried on this nefarious trade. (Hear, hear.) It behoved the workers to be up and doing to put down these poverty-breeding practices. If the producer of wealth, the working man, did not get a fair share of what he produced poverty must increase, and where there is poverty there is crime. Long hours and low wages meant poverty anywhere, and as for long hours there were some men in Timaru

whose wives and children would hardly know them if they did not see them on Sundays, (Laughter) The unions insisted that the hours of labour should be reduced so as to give every man leisure to enable his wife and children to make his acquaintance at any rate. Mr Parker then referred to what bad been done by unions at Home and in Christchurch, and hoped that the men of Timaru would see that it was only by united effort that anything could be done, that those who were getting their 6s and 7s a day would put down the feeling of indifference that was apt to arise respecting those who were ill paid, and learn to look upon such selfishness as a crime. Mr Parker then re* counted the,anecdote of the French Revolution when the famishing people were told by a member of a luxurious nobility to go and eat grass, and said he believed that there were some selfish monopolists living to-day who would be prepared to tell working men (o eat grass. (A voice : Ho, no ! what about the swaggers?) Well he admitted that human nature was a little bettor now than at that time, bat he believed that tbere were some who would do it. In conclusion Mr Parker said he had great faith in the future of unionism, a firm belief that it would bring about the improvement in the condition of labour that all desired, without going to any extremes. They had no desiro to call men out on strike. They would use every means in their power to avoid strikes if possible. Ho hoped their mission would be productive of great good, and that in a short time he would hear that unionism in Timaru had grown to such an extent as to be able to make great changes in the rate of wages in the place without any trouble or difficulty. (Bear, hear, and applause.) Mr Bidmeade, secretary to tho Trades and Labour Council, then addressed the meeting on the rise and progress of labour organisations. In a few preliminary remarks he quoted Mr Henry George’s words “All great political questions, all great social questions, and all great religious questions come down to the length of labour.” All were labourers in some way, and all labourers should have such fair remuneration as to enable them and their wives and children to live in comfort. They did cot ask for luxuries, only for a fair return for the only capital they possessed, their labour, but this they were not sure of if they left themselves at the mercy of employers. It was all very well to speak of sentiment, but people look a businesslike view of things, and if an employer could obtain labour at 5s a day ho would take it, and not pay 7s. Everyone of them would do the same under the same circumstances. It was necessary then that labour should be able to demand a fair rate of wage for a fair day’s work. Mr Bidmeade then traced the growth of unionism, from its untimely birth 300 years ago, and its fresh start 70 years ago among the coal miners of England in protesting against child labour, when men like Wilberforce and Buxton used their eloquence and influence on the side of the minere. In 1832 labour organisations had received a certain amount of recognition from the Legislature ; still they were illegal. It was illegal for men to form such combinations as were formed now, and persons had been transported, Frost and Jonesi for example, for doing so. The influence of the workman however increased, and Act after Act was passed, until now labour in England was in perhaps as good a position as the. Act of 1876 placed the labour of New Zealand. By this Act trades unions were recognised by the law, were empowered to acquire a corporate existence equally with say a financial company. As individuals had found it necessary to combine, so had the societies, and now they found in existence in Australia and in New Zealand Trades and Labour Councils, which were unions of union l ). The Christchurch Council now represented 16 or 17 societies with a total membership of about 30C0j and there were others and older ones at Dunedin. Wellington, and Auckland. The councils had very important duties. It would be easily understood how a single society might have much difficulty in settling a dispute. Then the Central Council came in, and appointed a deputation of members not connected with the trade in which the dispute existed, to act as independent arbitrators, and acting coolly and with a desire to be fair to both parties, disputes were arranged which could not have been arranged at all by the parties interested, each of whom probably was more or less angry with the other. The Trades Council therefore was of as much use to the employer as to the employed. He protested against attacks on capital. If they did anything to injure capilal they would be, only killing the goose that laid their golden eggs. Mr Bidmeade then went on to advise his hearers that in the selection of officers they should put all personal feeling aside and appoint their level best men, and also put in harness some of the younger men who showed intelligence, tact, and go, as these would often be up and doing when older fogies would be inclined to let things fake their course. Besides the young men should be trained to take full com-

mand when they grew older. He then described the great strike in Queensland recently, and showed how, by the amalgamation of unions the fight was really settled between quite a different set of people from those who started it and in quite a different place. It was a fight between the squatters and the shearers, and if it had been left to them the shearers must have been worsted. But the central council taking up the matter transferred the contest to the ports and it was settled for the shearers without any appeal by the Maritime Council refusing to handle the squatters’ wool for shipping. Turning to the attitude of the unions towards politics Mr Bidmeade said they were determined to .hold aloof from general politics, they would have nothing to say about freetrade or protection, about property tax or land tax, or any such matters, but in such matters as hours of labour, factory inspection, anything directly bearing upon labour they would assert themselves. In reference to inspection of factories ho condemned the appointment of police officers for this duty, as for many reasons likely to perform it in an inefficient manner. Another political question the unions must attend to was the election of legislators, and he explained bow the adoption of the Hare system would enable unionists to secure the return of a number of candidates of their choice, which they could not do at present. In conclusion Mr Bidmeade said they had seen unionism in its germ, they now saw its spreading branches; what would be its fruit)? So long as the societies were conducted on principles fair to all men he had no doubt that their course would be upward and onward until the people of this colony, and those of the other colonies were united in brotherly bonds, working truthfully and earnestly for the benefit of both employer and employed. Mr Bidmeade, who gave a long and interesting address, which we are compelled to condense, was frequently applauded, and warmly so when he sat down. ,

Mr Aplin, obtaining leave to say a few words, snoko strongly in favour of unions, and mentioned a few local instances to show the need of them. He asked whether it was right for the Geraldine County Council to object to pay 7s a day for a few days’ casual work, and still more, was it right for a member to say if they fossicked round they could get men for 5s a day. He was greatly applauded for condemning the proposal to write “pauper " over the heads of patients in the hospital who could not pay, and was glad there were some humane members on the board who would not have it. He then spoke of the accommodation for employees on stations, and occasioned some laughter by his descriptions of the “ abominable’’ places some station owners provided for their men—their stables and dog kennels were palaces in comparison. He had lost a good situation as manager of a largo property on which there were splendid stables and kennels, because he refused to put up a mere shell with " threedecker" bunks for 30 men. This subject ought to be inquired into and a royal commission would find as much to sicken them as a sweating commission could do. He wished the union movement success, and was glad to see such men as Bishop Julius and Archbishop Redwood fighting the workmen’s battles.

Mr R. Harvey, who said ho had been a member of a.trade union 25 years, said that at the next election they must have a man who would go for the Eight Hours Bill, not one who would vote against it, , The chairman then moved a hearty vole of thanks to Messrs Parker and Bidmeade fo?

their addresses. He remarked that one must go from home to hear news. He had no idea ' that there was anyone in Timaru working such long hours for such small pay as had been stated, and ho could not think there was very much of it. The vote was carried by acclamation and both the visitors returned thanks for the hearty reception accorded them. Koplying to Mr Aplin Mr Bidmeade said he could endorse his remarks about the station accommodation, but, ho asked, could the men, individually, get it altered ? Certainly nob, but if they organised they might do it. He also paid a tribute to the efforts of Bishop Julius and Archbishop Redwood. Knowing something of the past of Bishop Julius he was surprised indeed that the conservative people of Christchurch chose a man who had long been such a strong friend of the working man. Ho then referred to a memorandum and gave some figures respecting the baking trade in Timaru. Ho was assured by the men themselves that they were correct. There were men working 16, 17, 18, and 19 hours a day for a miserable 17s 6d, 20s, 255, and the man who worked the longest hours only received £2 a week.

Mr Lundon added a few words of thanks to the delegates for the good they had done at Waimate in lifting unionism out of the dark into open discussion by employers and employed, and then Mr M. Manoughe moved Mr Lundon seconded, and it was carried by a full show of bands—" That, a branch of 'the Shearers’ and Labourers’ Union be established iu Timaru ”

gj'A vote of thanks to the mayor for presiding and for his sympathy and liberality in giving the use of the hall gratis, terminated the public meeting. A good many stayed to carry out the resolution; Thirty-two were enrolled in the new branch, and officers were then elected, Mr Walter Harkness as chairman, Mr Cook as vice-chairman, Mr Manoughe as treasurer, Mr Downs as secretary, and a committee of twelve was also elected. The branch then adjourned.