The Star. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22, 1893. Emancipation of Labour.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4576, 22 February 1893, Page 2

The Star. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22, 1893. Emancipation of Labour.

A few days ago we bad occasion to refer to the terribly low rates of payment made to needlewomen in Melbourne. From all accounts the labour market seems very much overstocked in the large cities of Australia, and workers of every kind have to submit to very small wages or go without employment. Yet the cost of living docs not appear to be proportionately reduced, nor are the prices of commodities much lessened. In Australia, as in the old countries, capital is taking advantage of circumstances, and making its. profit, regardless of the cruelty inflicted on the victims of its avarice. How mercilessly the employers treat their men is strikingly illustrated by the fact that even the Chinese carpenters have been unable to endure the reduction that has recently taken place in their already miserable wages. Fourteen hoars a day did they toil uncomplainingly, so long as they could earn enough to keep them from starvation, and their masters have taken their silence as a hint that their wages might be still further reduced. But even Chinese workmen can be goaded to desperation, and there has been witnessed in Melbourne the | spectacle of a strike of Chinamen. Political economists callously look on and tell us that these low wages are inevitable ; that they are simply the result of the laws of supply and demand which regulate prices of all kinds, including the price of labour. The doctrines of political economists, however, are daily being gainsaid, and the history of modern times shows that men are no longer content to be treated aB so much merchandise to be picked up in ! the cheapest and sent to the dearest market, for the benefit of the capitalist j whose money buys them and the fruits of their industry. The capitalist has been so long accustomed to look upon the labourer as his slave that he cannot bring himself to believe that his employee has any right to be consulted as to the wages he is to receive. The question — "What am I worth?" — in his opinion never can be asked by the working man. The only question that is worthy of a second thought is— how little is the capitalist compelled to pay ? But as education spreads political power comes nearer and nearer- to the masses, and with political power comes the determination to- reform the abuses under which they have so long groaned. The tide of popular indignation is steadily advancing, though every now and again there appears to be a retreating wave. The practical protests that have been made by the numerous strikes at Home and in the Colonies have already brought about for labour a recognition of its rights far greater than the | Chartists ever dared to dream of. ' Labour is now represented in Parliament, not only in these Democratic Colonies, but even in the Conservative Mother Country and polifcioians, instead of ignoring labour, are casting about for th© best means of turning its power to their j own advantage. As yet labour has not a tithe of the power it is entitled to, and capitalists will try all they can to prevent J its adding to its strength. But tl&» maseea j will prove irresistible. The knell of , monopoly is sounding, and wt& the. deafcb, '

!of monopoly will cease the tyranny of capital, and will begin the emancipation of labour.