The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1889. THE LONDON BOOKMEN.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1953, 8 October 1889, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1889. THE LONDON BOOKMEN.

A cablegram informs ns that Mr Burns says that the subscriptions from Australia were the backbone of the London strike. We are glad of it. We feel,a pride in the spirit exhibited by Australia on this occasion, and our only regret is that New Zealand was rather behindhand in thA matter. It is, however, more than likely that we shall have another opportunity before long to exhibit our sympathy with human suffering in a similar way. The working men of England are beginning to feel their strength; they hare achieved a splendid victory, hut, as their prongs are not by any means wholly righted, it is not likely that: they will now rest contented. We hope when next called upon to assist New Zealand will not be behindhand, in such a work of mercy as to assist the London poor to fight for their rights. Mr Burns’s utterance is a terrible commentary on the wealthy classes of London; They could give a million pounds more easily than Australians could give a hundred pounds, but from all accounts they were not very liberal in their donations. ■ They have fleeced the poor of the wealth they possessed, but when the poor require assistance they button up their pockets, and disregard appeals to their humanity.) Previous to the strike the London | Dock Companies charged the ship-1

owners eightpence per hour for ( loading and unloading ships. Of this I they gave fivepence to the workmen, and kept threepence for themselves. It was against this barefaced robbery the men struck. Of the eightpence which the Dock Companies charged the workmen asked sixpence as their share; but this was refused, and it was this refusal that led to the strike. The callous-heartedriesa and indifference with which wrongs like this are looked upon is astonishing. One would think that in a Christian country such outrageous rdbbery as this would not be tolerated for one moment, .but it has been, because,, no doubt, it is only one of the many instances in which the men who do the work are fleeced by those who do no work.; •( Vico is a monster of )so frightful mien As to be, hated needs but,,to be seen— Yet, seen too oft, familiar with her face,. , Wo first endure, then pity, then embrace.” It is so with the wrongs of the poor. Londoneis do not regard it as wrong to rob these poor ,men of their earnings in this way. They haye been accustomed to it; they regard it as the normal condition of life; they think that it is only right and proper to screw down wages as low as possible, so that Dukes and Earls and their parasites shall have cheap goods,, It. is saddening to reflect on all 1 this. If is really depressing that, after, all. pur boasted civilisation, after 300 years of an open Bible, after the tremendous noise which has been made by the, Jellybys about Christianising the inhabitants of Borrioboola-Gba, that in, the very focus,of that civilisation, and under the very shadow of Exeter Hall, crimes like are looked upon with indifference, England paid £20,000,000 to Slave-owners as compensation, for abolishing slavery. In her own metropolis worse than’‘slavery exists, and when a 'little more than a year ago the working men of London met in public to ventilate their grievances they were bludgeoned and bayonetted. The London Mansion House Committee recently stated that 8006 men are turned away daily from ih© 1 docks for whom there is no,work.; A writer who witnessed the seene of hiring the dockmen describes it ! as follows “When the dock gates are opened thousands of half-starved mebstruggle and fight—aye', literally fight like wild ahimals-HSbramblihg ovdr the heads of, one another, and frampling each other down in their; efforts to attract 1 the' attention of the foreman wKbtfe ,business it is to engage the hands for the day. By a show of physical strength they hope to obtain the much-coveted privilege of earning 6d per : hour. The struggle ended, and, the fortunate ones admitted within the docks, the gates were closed, and from these three docks 700 hungry, disappointed men were turned away to spend a day of enforced idleness and misery.” Georg© R. Sim, in his book on “How the Poor Live,” says the men sleep all night on the side of the street in order to be nearest to the gate in the morning. What is Slavery compared with the miseries these men suffer? Aristotle in his “ Polity,” and many other ancient philosophers, held that slaves differed- from the 'rest of humanity, and were unfit for freedom, but they gave-Slaves enough to eat. The law and the religion of England look upon working 1 men as the Equals of others in every attribute, yet allow them to starve. ' This cannot continue. It is wonderful how long it has continued, aud, as Archdeacon Julius said, the patience and. self-control of the men who have put up with it so long is really surprising. 1 We notice by the most recent cablegrams that the Chairman of the Dock Companies has denounced the Strike as a Socialistic movement, and waxes very indignant, Only for ■ Cardinal Manning, Lord Mayor and the Australian colonies the companies would not have yielded. 1 Of course, it is a Socialistic movement. No one need tell us that. Socialism aims ■ at preventing such people as the Dock Companies from 1 robbing the working , men of threepence per hour. It is really astonishing how this man can stand ,up and abuse everybody because he has been compelled to desist from thus despoiling the poor of their just rights. All the world has condemned the ; Ddck Companies, and yet they have, the effrontery to ; brazen it out and’ cry “ Socialism ” in the hope of frightening people., W« are inclined to think that he is giving a c.heap advertisement, to Socialism, and doing it more; good than harm. Nobody knows what. Socialism really is, as Archdeacon Julius said the other day, but, whatever ;it.is, it must be very bad Jf It is not fairer and honester than the system which allows the London Dock Companies to rob. their workmen.