THE LABOR MOVEMENT.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 493, 14 August 1890, Page 2

THE LABOR MOVEMENT.

THE TROUBLE STILL SIMMERING. [SPECIAL TO THE STANDARD*] CHRisTcnur.CH, last night. It is currently reported that to morrow the Maritime Council will call out all seamen and colliery hands. At a meeting of Rhareholders of Messrs Whireombe nnd Tombs, held lait night, at which over 470 shares oat of a total of 9000 were represented, the following resolution was unanimously carried :—“ The directors of Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited), after consulting with their shareholders, instruct me to advise you that while at all times fully prepared to listen to any reasonable proposals in the interest of labor, they f< el bound to decline to submit to tho assumed right of your Council to force them to arbitrate as to the manner in which their business is to be conducted in the future, or as to the employment of women as compositors. The policy of the Company has been to pay their employees fairly, and the directors have reason to be satisfied with the manner in which tho work of the business has been conducted. They cannot therefore soe any just reason why they should be called upon to discharge thoso who have served, them faithfully, for the purpose of supplanting them with men chosen by the Association | Wellington, lust night. The scarcity of coal at Greymouth is much felt, and an attempt to work the machinery with wood fuel has been found expensive and unsatisfactory. About twenty carters are at present employed along the beach, gathering drift wood, and others are carting from the bush round the town. Coal is being brought in from niue miles distance, but goes but a little way to supp’y public wants. Considerable coal h coming from Westport. The Mayor and citizens who wish to confer with the miners’ executive on the position of the coal difficulty have received no reply yet to their overtures. Waggons bring more or less Reafton toal every trip from Beefton. THE WELLINGTON MEETING. Speaking at a mass meeting at Wellington MrD. P. Fisher outlined the difficulty with Whitcombe and Tombs Some two years ago the printing trade of the colony was in a most dep 1 orablestate, both in respect to the benefits accruing to master and to mas, and it h*d been brought about by the employers entering into foolish and rash competition, and not by any action of the men Work was taken at ridiculously low prices, and so the trade was brought very low indeed. These acts of the masters mus% of course, only fall back upon the men, who, as a consequence, had to give way to boys or work for boy? wages. The trade took the matter up, meetings were held all over the colony, starting wirh Wellington, and the masters were asked to consider the position. They did not combine for the purpose of destroying their masters’ interests, but they wanted them to combine so as much as anything to protect themselves against anything that might be considered unreasonable or against their interests on the part of the employees. The masters said frankly that they could not trust, one another and declined to fnrna an association. The society then said tha'y wanted certain things and they must have them. They were driven out into the streets and they m»»ant to have what was right and just, and they succeeded in getting what they wanted. Other places took up the agi r ation and interviewed the masters, with the result that ultimately a Masters’ Association was formed in different parts nf the colony. By this association all had ♦he same prici-s for work, and nf course the employees required that ’hey ahmfld get the same wages all round. Things in Wellington were not quite what were required ye', but he was happy to say that the employees were coming round to se* the justice of thia agitation. Most of the employees in Chriiteburoh agreed to (ha proper proportion of boy and girl labor to men, but Whitcombe and Tombs declined. They said they would employ three men and the rest boys and girls when there was a rush on. Theae girls and boys earned on an average from 5s to 12a 61 per week. They were subject he said to a most shameful system of fines, etc , with the result that many of them at the end of the week not only had nothing to take home, but actually owed their employers something in fines. (CHes of Shame.) That was proved to be so, Mr Fisher said, by the evidence given before the Sweating Commission. The firm employed bookbinders and when they found that the binders were going with the printers they compromised matters, retracting the statement that they would not employ unionists. The Typographical Society suggested everything that could be thought of for a settlement, but were met at every turn with rebuff. They placed the matter in the hands of the Trades and Labor Council and the Council trie! to induce the firm to agree to term’, but to no avail and it then came to the Maritime Council. The Maritime Council said it was not a matter which very directly interested them, but seeing the trouble the Typographical Society and Trades Council were in thay would take the matter up. Again the mediatory process was gone through ; no stone was left unturned to settle ths difficulty in a peaceful way. OPINION IN SYDNEY.

Our Sydney correspondent writes under date July 30:—I am sorry to say that the position never looked more threatening than it does at the present time. Employers of the old school stand aghast, and wonder what the end will be. With them it has long oeaflad to be a case of “ Jack ” being “ a® good as hia master.” He is determined to be a great deal better. Not only do Unions dictate to employers, whom they shall, and whom they shall not employ, as well as the rate of wages they shall pay and the hours they shall work. The Unions themselves have learned the knack of ennabination. The carriers stand by the shearers and the wharf laborers and seamen avow thei r determination to stand by the other two. We are outgrowing the stage of 'ha simple combination of individual workers, and are entering that of the combination of combinations. On ’ha other hand capitalists, in self-defence, find themselves compelled tn abandon their prevalent attitude of suspicion and over-reaching, and enter into defensive combinations also. A single employer, except for the fact that when he has capital of his own ha can live on it, is ai powerless before a union of laborers as a sing’e laborer (when unions did not exist) before an employer. What is to he the outcome ? The material prosperity, nay the mundane existence of the commonwealth* depends upon the efficient co-operation of employers and emp’oyed. Are they going to confront each other in battle ? la organised labor go*ng to face organised capital and follow the combat till one or other is driven from the field ? If so they will meet with a fate like that of the proverbial Kilkenny oats who devoured each other till there was nothing left but their respective tails I But in an Anglo-S ixon community I do not think there is any such danger. The Australian colonies, with all their faults, are higher in the snale than the South American republics. When the need becomes sufficiently apparent tha racial genius for self government, arbitration, and equitable compromis’ will a’aert it-elf and will provide against tha dangers which are like’y tn resu’t from the open c mflmt of combinations as it has already provided for those which were seen to fl)* frnm the open conflict of individuals. The organisation of conflicting intarnsts i« the numnme nf the public spirit of till class. Formidable ns it appears and real as are the perils hv whioh it is attended all that it n«*e!e is development and extension rather than repression. Let th»» public spirit nf the community assert its rightful supremacy over that of the contending cla’’°e««. L’t it provide tribunals before whioh thur claims may he adjusted, and adequate force to prevent illegal ac’ion nn the part of the stubborn and haedatrong. Shall men combine for the good nf fragmentary sectiftns and refuse or neglect to combine for the peace and security of the whn’e body ? I. for one. don’t b-lieve it. But I question very much whp’her the Government, the legislature, or the electors are sufficiently alive tn the magnitude of the forces hy which the public good is threatened, forces which have lent th-mnelves in unquestioning obedience to serve ihe behests of some of the most hot-headed and ambitious men in the Cbuntry*