Letters to Editor: March 16, 1895.

*THE WORKER*

Brisbane, March 16, 1895.

Mail Bag.

WANTED – (to prepare way for Socialism in our Time):

One adult One Vote.

Land tax.

State bank.

Shops and Factories Act.

Eight hours day where practicable.

Referendum and Initiative.

Taxation of every person according to ability to pay.

The State to find work for unemployed.

The State to fix a minimum wage.

Free railways. Free administration of Justice.

The WORKER does not hold itself responsible for the opinions of its correspondents.

O.S. - Will be attended to.

G.H. - New Zealand - All right.

H.B. - Have submitted to our censor. Many thanks.

GYMPIE SUBSCRIBER – About 24 years of age; a cabinet maker by trade; address, Leichhardt street, Sydney.

S.F.N. - The point of the story a little obscure. Send us a note as to what you are driving at. Then we think it possible to fix it up, as otherwise good.

ED. WORKER - I am aware that when Mr. Fisher, M.L.A. Proposed to reduce the vote for the catering for the refreshment rooms I did not support him, because it would have prevented the members from getting tea and coffee with other refreshments, and would not have had the effect of closing the refreshment bar. - SAMI GRIMES, COOMERA, March 6.

ED. WORKER – Waroonge started shearing three weeks ago, signed as men came, no roll call, '94 agreement. The shearers were a fortnight before they knew the price of their rations which, instead of costing 10 per cent and carriage, were about 20 per cent. Cook discharged and place taken by F. Simmons after being defeated for same at the start, but camped for the death of his comrade. He says he is union but – I leave anyone to judge. - J.

ED. WORKER – After all the puffing, the alleged throwing open for selection of the Boombah resumption ended in W. Ah Munro, the lessee, buying at 10s. an acre, the eyes of the country, and the genuine selectors were left to scramble for the balance. Some of them, when the above fact was announced, tore up their applications in disgust. Some of those who have applied for land on Boombah are McPherson, manager for J. Ah Lomax, of Boatman Station, in this district, and a brother-in-law of Munro's and Tooth, a scion of the decayed Clifton family and jackaroos on Boombah. - U.C., St. George.

ED. WORKER – The stars in their course are fighting against the Government. Hear what a man after rambling Tommy's own heart says in an article on “Agricultural Stagnation:” “The Government are only the servants of the people,” &c. I have often heard Mr. W. Kellet whistle a different tune. I wonder who has been jumping on his chest, or giving him the cold shoulder to make him now so bitter against the Government. He will soon rival or eclipse our worthy member, Mat Ried, as being “agin the Government,” and it won't surprise me in the least if by next election time he comes down to the Trades Hall and signs the Labour platform, and think by so doing he will be able to crawl into Parliament again. - A. TOOWONG ELECTOR.

ED. WORKER – Just a line or two to point out to you that it is not all truth that the squatters preach when they inform us that they do not boycott members of the A.W.U. In the beginning of last month I rode up to Boatman station and asked the manager if there was any chance of obtaining a stand for the coming shearing. Without any hesitation he informed me in the presence of a witness that he would give me a stand, and put my name on the list. Being an hon. delegate of the A.W.U. I had members' tickets in my possession, and after obtaining a stand I thought I would pay a visit to the contractors camps on the station and enroll members. I proceed to a contractor's camp – named Week's – and myself and W. Breen held a meeting of the men working in the camp, and they were unanimous in renewing their tickets and joining the A.W.U. The overseer of Boatman happened to be in the camp at the time, and accompanied by the contractor weeks, came to where we were holding the meeting and informed us that they would have no agitators on Boatmen, and informed us that if we did not clear out he would impound our horses. I had to leave and, after the overseer went into head station and informed M'Pherson (of Doondi fame) who is the manager of Boatman, that I was an agitator. I received a letter from him informing me that he had struck my off me off the list of shearers. I enclose you a true copy of his letter. - JOHN P. WOODS, Hon. delegate.

ED. WORKER – Re the reliability of lascar sailors-some years ago I was a passenger to London by the B.I. Boat Merkarn. We experienced fine weather until within three days' sail of Aden, when the S.W. Monsoon came on suddenly and we got some very dirty weather. A sail was blown away and some blocks got adrift up aloft and were doing considerable damage as they swung to and fro with every roll, of the ship. The lascars had all gone below, and neither the entreaties of their serang nor the threats of the officers could induce one of these “cheap and nasty” fine weather sailors to budge an inch. In consequence the quartermasters and the third and fourth officers had to go aloft and make things secure. I was afterwards assured by several of the officers that this was a common occurrence and that lascers were utterly worthless in really bad weather as, at the first advent of danger, they straight way went below and stayed there until it had passed. This was my first experience of lascers, but it made such an impression on me that I determined I would never again voluntarily travel on any boat that carried a black crew, and when I subsequently returned to Australia I came back on the Orient liner Loguria. We encountered a terrific cyclone in the Gulf of Aden in which the Speke Hall, Richmond Hill and other vessels were lost, and I was afforded a good opportunity of contrasting the behaviour of a white crew with that of the lascers employed on the B.I. Boats. Our vessel was splendidly handled and the crew, firemen and stokers, nobly did their duty, working heroically to keep the fires alight, and it was nothing but good seamanship backed up by the ready and cheerful obedience of a white crew that brought us safely that terrible cyclone. - COSMOPOLITAN, Townsville.

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THE North Brisbane Workers' Political Organisation commence their Saturday night social on the 16^th at the Trades Hall.

THE people of Arrilalah have a high opinion of the Labour members. They consider if Mr. Kerr, member for the Barcoo, is a sample of the Queensland Labour Party, those who secured the party's return have good reason to congratulate each other on their good luck.

LABOUR Member Rawlings has left Brisbane to address his Woothakata constituents. “Niatruc” in the Wild River Times, for a few of the Fat Man's shillings and probably in anticipation of a soft Government billet, tries to be funny at Rawlings' expense, forgetting that Woothakata is now represented by a sober, honest, and conscientious man.