SHEARERS' AND LABOURERS' UNION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4738, 1 September 1893, Page 3

SHEARERS' AND LABOURERS' UNION.

A public meeting wp.s held in the Odd--0 fellows' Hall last evening under the auspices of the Amalgamated Shearers and Labourer*' Union for the purpose of considering political matters affecting the workers. Mrs G&rmson occupied the chair, and in opening the meeting spoke of the a ' advantages of Tradea Unionism, and ita ,1 ' elevating effect on the social condition of f the people. Unionism should have for its ultimate aim ami object the bringing about of amicable i elations between l&bour and capital, and more equitable conditions between the employed and the employer. r Such meetings as the present were of the . i greatest utility in bringingand keeping " ■' before the Government various matters 1 ! affecting the interests of the workers. fc ! Mr W. Ensc in moved—" That this meet--1 ing enters an emphatic protest against the I | sale of any part of the Cheviot estate, as 'i contemplated by the Bill before the House." i He said there seemed but little need for 1 ! the resolution, as a meeting had been held p not very long ago under the auspicea of ■ the Liberal Association, at which many ' good speeches had been made on the sub- • j'ject and resolutions carried. But too much 1 ! could not be said on the land question, 1 ! which lay at the root of all social quesI j tions, and which had to be dealt with i before any radical change could be expected in the condition of the workers. He believed that before very long it would have to be considered whether it was proper 3 I or not for the State to hold all the meanß of production — whether all the foundaI tions of the means of production should f > not be in the hands of the State. KegardI 1 ing the Cheviot estate, something was I I wrong, because the Government, after . j affirming that the laad must be purchased ' for the people, started to sell it directly it was acquired. The action was defended by the assertion that money waß required to open up roads, &c, but if the I estate was a sound investment— and it was agreed to be so — 3urely it would warrant the expenditure of revenue or the raising of a special loan. The speaker, after referring to other matters, condemned the . land policy of the Government, saying that, although the Government was a good ona, it had changed its tactics because it ' was on the eve of a general election. He was very Borry that the Government had turned " land-jobber " in the conservative way it had done. He concluded by characterising the Upper House as _ a failure, and the actions of some of itß members dishonourable in voting against some of the Government proposals which they had been sent in to support. He hoped the people would return to power men who would be Liberal and support Liberalism. Mr Ballinger supported the motion. Eegarding the Cheviot estate, he condemned the Government for holding out any facilities in the direction of jobbery. The people at the next elections must show the men in Parliament that they meant to go forward, and were not going to be led off the track by the drink question, or the women's franchise alone. The motion was carried unanimously. Mr J. M. Douglass moved — " That in the opinion cf this meeting the Government should endeavour to improve the accommodation on stations for shearers by passing the Hon Major Steward's Shearers Accommodation Bill this session. Failing this, that the Factory Act be amended to meet the case." He spoke of the miserable accommodation now provided for the shearers, the arduous nature of whose work rendered their comfortable housing a matter of necessity. He warned the Shearers' Union to have nothing to do with politics as a Union, because it embraced all classes of religionists and supporters of every party, and if a union wanted to succeed it must go on Eteadily and work for the advancement of the trade of its members. He was very glad to see the tendency growing to meet employers in a fair and equitable way and he was sure great benefit would come from such a spirit. He then spoke of the wool exports, and advocated the washing of wool on the stations, arguing that the shearers could take up land on the squatters' runs if they were given so much shearing and so much wool to wash. The motion was seconded by Mr Carter and carried. Mr Bleach moved — " That this meeting protests against the. duty of 20 per cent on shears as an injustice to the shearers, and hopes that the Government will at once see to having it remitted, so that justice may be done to this class of workers." The resolution was seconded by Mr Robertson, and carried. The Rev J. OB. Hoare moved— " That this meeting of shearers and general labourers enter a decided and emphatic protest against the action of the Government in opposing the retention of the clause giving equal electoral rights to shearers and harvesters and general labourers as are enjoyed by seamen and commercial travellers, and that the Government be urged to re-commit the Bill with the view of giving the shearers the right to vote." The shearers were practically prevented from exercising the right that had been given them to vote, while the seamen and commercial travellers were legislated for. While admitting that the present Government had done a great amount of good work he said that from its " makeup " it had commenced to wobble — in fact it had lost its balance — and when a Government began to wobble it was for the governed to steady it. Therefore he thought that the legislators should be reminded by such meetings as the present that the people had not lost sight of certain principles, and did not propose to have them departed from. The motion waß seconded by Mr W. W. Collins and carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to Mrs Garmaon for presiding terminated the meeting.