The Great Strike.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 502, 4 September 1890, Page 3

The Great Strike.

Ito thb editor.’ Sir,—lt is not without diffidence I venture to express an opinion about the great strike now prevailing, inasmuch as it must in all fairness be conceded that the strikers must presumedly know their own business better than a mere observer. Yet I cannot help thinking that the leaders of the Maritime Council and other Labor Associations have made a mistake in attempting tc make the present revolt against capital all but universal in these colonies.

It is generally admitted that labor organi sat ions are beneficial, and indeed necessary in the present state of society, and political apathy, to resist and counteract the selfish aggressions of capital. Without some strong measure of resistance, the condition of labor in these colonies would, in time, degenerate to that obtaining in the Old World, embracing all the horrors of the sweating system, and starvation.

As the question presents itself, have the Unions adopted the best and safest course to obtain the desired~TeSult ? None but the rash and unthinking will hazard a dogmatic answer. I simply desire to suggest that the result might be obtained by means of political organisation. It has been amply demonstrated that working meh can tie staunch and loyal to their various Industrial Unions, under the most trying circumstances why can they not form, and loyally support, a great Political Union, or system of Unions, involving neither sacrifice nor expense, in order to return labor candidates to the House of Representatives, at the next and all following elections. The sc-called masses supply a large majority of the electors, and if only politically organised and true to themselves, it is not too much to assert that nearly all, if not every constituency in New Zealand, might return to the next Parliament a member pledged and devoted to the interests of labor and the people. Thus by wise legislative measures the necessary reforms could be secured peacefully and in order, without loss or hardship to anyone. No further strikes would be required, entailing as they do, tremendous sacrfice of wages, cessation of production, dislocation of trade, and enormous loss and inoonvepienpe to the general community, J would not abolish the indus* trial unions at once, but the suggested political unions wou’d immediately strengthen thfir efforts, and ultimately replace them when no longer required.—l am,’etc., Obsebvxb.