Letters to Editor May 18, 1895.

*THE WORKER*

BRISBANE, MAY 18, 1895.

Mail bag.

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

One Adult One Vote.

Land Tax.

Income 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.

PELICAN – Call round.

ST. GEORGE – A trifle too strong.

JOBLING – Witty, but a little obscure.

E.C. W. - Send few notes as promised.

WINTON CORRESPONDENT - “What are you giving us?”

J.W. Menindie – Have forwarded your letter to W. Kewley.

THE MORAL MAN OF THE DAY – On second thoughts, too personal.

T.M., Deep Lead – Yes, he signed the platform, &c., and was the official Labour candidate.

G. M., Portland Downs – First insertion missing friends advertisement free; further insertions 1s. each.

O. DESFORD – Yours of the 2^nd. instant to hand. If you have been subjected to annoyance we very much regret the fact, as we now find that wrong information was supplied to us.

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ED. WORKER – The “silent” member for the Mitchell District, Mr. John Cameron, passed through this town last week, and although he spent about 40 hours here we could not prevail on him to address his constituents. How proud must be those electors who voted for a man who has not given enough to address them publicly, - VERITAS

ED. WORKER – Not 100 miles from – station is a contractor whom I will call Fortnight. This individual, not satisfied with making a cool £30 or £40 out of his men's labour, has turned his attention to selling opium to the blacks, and is doing good business. I trust that some zealous policeman will take note of this and make this cormorant contribute to the revenue. - O.S.

ED. WORKER – Eulolo is to start shearing on the 21^st instant, under station agreement, with 25s. per week for the rouseabouts. The latter, up to date, have refused to accept the wages offered and demand 30s. (the rates paid last year) It is generally expected that the manager will concede the men's terms when he is ready to start shearing, as scabs are scare in this outlandish corner. - Stepper.

ED. WORKER – Nothing short of starvation will goad men to demand their rights. At – station all attempts to strike for fair terms were in vain as the men were so divided; when, however, the station ran out of flour all hands knocked off unanimously. The shed hands at - “rushed the kip” for £1 per week, and are working until 4 o'clock on Saturdays, or about fifty-four hours per week. A number of them are working under a chain gang agreement, which 'tis said, denotes the liberal allowance of 15s. per week in the event of leaving or discharge. - THE BANSHER.

ED. WORKER – I noticed in the Border Post of the 4^th instant notes of the Inglewood correspondent in which it stated our member (Mr. Foxton) had a good and attentive meeting when at Inglewood, last month. This was not the case. He had a meeting right enough, but had anything but a good hearing. His continual nagging at the labour Party was looked upon by those present as very bad taste, and his boasting of the benefit the colony had derived from the Coercion Act indicated that his policy in the future will be as paltry as his actions have been in the past. In my opinion, and the opinion of those I meet, the electors are about full up of Mr. Foxton. At the meeting Mr. Foxton was several times interrupted, and on more than one occasion said that he would leave the hall. - E. C. W.

ED. WORKER – I am glad to inform you that the Mackay Branch of the A.W.U. is making an energetic move towards organising this electorate, in the hope of being able to put forward at least one candidate, at the next election. I have only been here a few weeks, and I am pleased to find that Mackay is not near as black as it is painted. I can assure you there are some real staunch men in the union here, and plenty out of it, who only want approaching in the right way and they will become members of the union. Little Jack Smith was here a few days ago; he held an open air meeting the other night, his subject was “Old England and the New.” He delivered himself remarkably well. There were about one hundred present. On Saturday night, April 20^th this branch held an open air meeting, which was a great success, there being over two hundred persons present. The President, Mr. Donald Beaton, occupied the chair. The following speakers addressed the meeting at considerable length:- Mr. Simon Tait, on general matters pertaining to the working of the Mackay branch of the A.W.U.; Mr. John Swan, upon the misrepresentation of the present Government; Mr. Nicoll, farmer, upon the maladministration of the land laws of this colony, and he also gave an outline of the shearers' strike of 1891, which was well received; Mr. Fudge, upon the action of the Municipal Council in voting away the ratepayers' money to be wasted on a lot of individuals, some of whom are now in receipt of £1000 a year and expenses out of the public purse, and who were travelling through the different electorates on a purely political tour at the expense of the taxpayers of this colony. - MEMBER A.W.U., Mackay.