Bystanders' Notebook June 22, 1895.

*THE WORKER*

BRISBANE JUNE 22, 1895.

Bystanders' Notebook.

SHANDYGAFF POLITICIANS

AND

THE LABOUR PARTY.

In advising the Labour Party not to compromise or coalesce with any other political party I'm voicing the opinions of the bush workers generally. It is just as well for the Labour Party to remember that one of the first principles of Democracy is the total abolition of party Government. Party Government, I think, is pretty near “played out” in this colony; but if the Labour Party coalesce with any of the old conservatives they will sacrifice their independence and strength. And by swallowing the very tempting sugar-coated bait which emanated from the fertile brain of the leader of Her Majesty's Constitutional Opposition – samely, Mr. C. Powers, M.L.A. - why, then, they will be guilty of assisting to perpetuate the obnoxious system which all sincere reformers detest - namely, Party Government. Up to date, the Labour Party has gone “straight” and retained its solidarity, and no doubt it will continue on the straight path. We are all aware that the “average” politician has always been active and taken a prominent part in support of the present state of society, and experience has taught us that in the past he has ever been ready to support and advocate the passage through Parliament of any legislation – no matter how rank or corrupt it might be – so long as it had for its object the enslavement and subjection of the workers. Truly the ways of the “average” politician, like Bret Harte's “heathen Chinese,” are peculiar. He will never, under any circumstances, legislate in the interests of the masses until he ascertains and is certain which way the wind is blowing.

If it happens to blow in a favourable direction, i.e. towards power, place and pay, notice how adroitly he summersaults and repudiates his old principles, how cleverly he contrives to successfully gull the workers into the belief that he advocated and supported a particular piece of rotten legislation as a temporary expedient only. The people have been deceived so often by the trickery of political chameleons that they are doubtful as to the sincerity of Mr. C. Powers in his sudden conversion to Social Democracy and his renunciation of his belief in the Pacific Island slave trade. His conversion, coming as it does just prior to a general election, has an insincere look about it. Besides, if he is sincere, and has succeeded in casting the black labour taint out of his system, he can assist in the promulgation of Socialistic reforms which are within measureable distance of realisation, thanks to the untiring energy and indomitable perseverance of the Labour agitators who have sturdily combatted the arguments and exposed the foetid conservatism of those individuals whose vested interests compel them to support things as they are in order that they'll continue to roll in luxury and grow fat on the wealth produced by others. Taking one thing with another, and in order to guard against mistakes, it is the duty of the Labour Party to diplomatically repel the advances of the shandy-gaff Democratic, progressive, mushroom political parties which are bound to spring up now that an election is near at hand. The foregoing advice may not be needed, still I hope it will be taken in the spirit in which it is given.

JAMES BREEN, CHARLEVILLE, June 11, 1895.

* * *

CANE – CUTTING AT GERALDTON

There appears a leading article in the Geraldton (N.Q.) Advocate of May 29^th. Written entirely in the interests of the capitalistic mill owners and planters, and well calculated to deceive and mislead working men. Therein it is stated there is plenty of employment for 300 or 400 working men at cane-cutting at 3s. per ton, but the writer forgot to state that for that amount rails have to be laid from the trunk line through the cane, which has to be cut, loaded on trucks and taken on to the main line. It is also said that cane-cutting is better paid than either splitting timber, fencing, or working on a railway. It may be true here with regard to splitting or fencing, as no work of either description can be said to be paid for, as it is only given to white men when they do it for a lower price than either Javas, Japanese, Chinese, Kanakas, blacks, &c., can be got to do it for, but it is a downright falsehood that men can earn as much cane-cutting as they could navvying on any of the lines constructed as yet in Queensland. The highest weekly wages last year given to cane-cutters was £1 per week and tucker. Eleven hours a day have to be worked. Absence from work for any cause is deducted from the pay, and as 240 inches of rain fell here last year, the amount of wages deducted for compulsory idleness can be imagined. I can assert emphatically that no contractor (unless he had a mob of blacks working for him for next to nothing but tucker) earned here last year an average of 15s. per week and tucker, and no wages men came near that. A ploughman who has been working constantly for the last four years, wages £1 per week, on one of the plantations and who never missed an hour he could help, informs me his average wage for that time is 10s. per week. There is no doubt in my mind the leading article was written to, if possible, induce a lot of men to come here so that the mill owners may again have them under their thumbs as they had them last year.

PLANTATION HAND, Geraldton.