THE CARDINAL-ARCHBISHOP AND THE STRIKE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 1, 3 October 1890, Page 7

THE CARDINAL-ARCHBISHOP AND THE STRIKE.

(Sydney Freeman's Journal, September IS.) In the People of Wednesday, the organ of the Labour Defence Committee, tbe following appeared :—: — " A letter from Cardinal Moran has been received by the Labour Defence Committee asking for an interview. As the Cardinal hat openly expressed his sympathy with the labour party, bis request has been granted, and the interview will take place to-day." The Cardinal's letter has not bein published, but we understand that his Eminence, seeing that no one hid come to the aid of the men, either to advise or confirm with them, wrote with tbe object of inducing the labour defence representatives to agree up in som ) true » or armistice under which tbe mea would bj able to resume work pending a settlement of the original dispute, and the various points and questions involved in the strike. On Wednesday morning a deputation, represjnting tbe men, waited on his Eminence at St. Ma r y'a. Tae deputation was composed of Messrs. J. Finch, Chairnun, Defence Committee ; J. Brennan, President, Trades and Labour Council ; G- Herbert, President, Maritime Council ; J. Thompson, President, A.M. A. of Australia, No. 2 District, Newcastle ; S. Smith, Samen's Union ; R. M'Killop, Pres.dent, Wharf Labourers' U lion ; and H. Furlny, Qjeensland. The interview lasted tit act hour and a-half, and from inquiries made when the deputation had retired, after expressing their sense of giateful appreciation of the Cardinal's sympathetic consideration, we learn that his Eminence found tbe men most anxious for a fair and friendly settlement of the strike. Wnat transpired during tbe interview we are not in a position to state, but this much we gathered, that the labour representatives fell in with his Eminence's proposals, and cordially agreed with his suggestion that something should be done to pave the way for a friendly conference of the representatives of the employers and the employes. V7e believe that the Cardinal's principal proposition with a view to putting an end to the present deplorable state of things in both social and commercial circles was that work should be resumed upon some mutual understanding, and that advantage could be taken of the truce to hold a conference, at which the various pointeat issue could be discussed and abasisof agreement established. The opimion was expressed that this pan would probably facilitate the settlement of the strike on terms satisfactory to both parties. Tbe deputation will, it is understood, lay the Cardinal's proposals before a conference of the labour unions representing tbe various colonies which is, we believe, to be held in Sydney to-day (Thursday). It is worthy of note that the interview with the Cardinal, giveu in last week's Freeman, was repub'ished in all tbe Brisbane papers as well as in several of tbe Melbourne and Adelaide dailies. All tbe Brisbane papers had editorials on the Cardinal's remarks. Duncan Ross writes to an evening contemporary :—: — "As a trades-unionist I am delighted to have co accomplished a champion as Cardinal Moran, the highest dignitaiy of tbe Roman Catholic Church in Australia, on our side. It must prove to the world that our cauße is a just one. Since the London dock strike my antipathy to the Catholic Church has lessened very much, for, I confess, bad not Cardinal Manning thrown in his influence with the mpsses I am sure the unions would not have come off so successful in the last strike. As a Presbyterian I have been taught in the Jjbn Knox school to avoid and detest anything leaning to Roman Catholicism, but I now see plainly that when the masses' battles are raging and the smell of powder great the only true friends are tbe Roman Catholic hierarchy, as in the days when Stephen Langton, th« Cardinal- Archbishop of Canterbury, wrested the peopled liberties from King John by making him sign the Magna Charta,"