The Labour Movement.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6238, 10 June 1890, Page 3

The Labour Movement.

NOT A NEW THING. A gentleman has sent to the Auckland Herald a copy which he has preserved for half a century of “The Pioneer, or Grand National Consolidated Trades Union Magazine.” Its motto is “ The day of our redemption draweth nigh.” It was thought to be quite close then, and possibly if the men who carried on the agitation in that day could see how things are now, they would say that all they had fancied in their wildest dreams had been realised. Much of the writing in the paper resembles what we read nowadays, but the grievances complained of are vey different. The gulf between then and now in the condition of the working class, and in the I treatment they receive from the law is something enormous, A correspondent of the Trades Union Magazine who writes writes under the name of “ Senox ” speaks of labour and capital in a way which some people suppose is only of to-day. He says : “ They feel confident that concessions must be made to you, and that each concession must lead to further concessions, until the capital and labour of society shall enter into one general consolidated union, not upon the borrow of individual profit, but upon the great and generous plan of general benefit,” The very latest exposition of Socialism, entitled “ Socialism in England,” | by Sydney Webb, L.L.B , published this year thus defines the Socialistic movement of today :—“ On the economic side, Socialism implies the collective administration of ; rent and interest, leaving to the individual only the hours of his labour of hand or brain. On the political side, it involves the collective control over, and ultimate administration of, all the main instruments of wealth production.” The author on to show that all the Socialist societies have for their object the destruction of all incomes from rent and interest, and he declares that these are tottering to their fall. In 1834, the writer quoted from in the Trades Union Magazine speaks thus:—“ When rents and profits are tottering as they do at present, what security is there for the State revenue, including the pay of the army, and the interest of that debt for which the Parliamentary landowners of both Houses pledged their lives and fortunes ? Verily, my brethren, if the fundholders had in them a few grains of real prudence, they would sell out their stock for what they could get for it, while they can get anything for it, and bring it as capital for our association.” ,He goes on : “ There cannot be profits and rents in a state of increasing and accumulating national plenty with out a frightful enlargement of pauperism and poor rates.”

But the Socialistic element soon died out of the agitation of half a century ago, and this was contributed to by the failure of attempts made to realise Socialism in practice. The whole power of the movement was concentrated into political reform, and in this there has been abundant success.