Letters to Editor July 13, 1895.

*THE WORKER*

BRISBANE, JULY 13, 1895.

Mail Bag.

WANTED – (to prepare way for Socialism in our 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.

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

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P.L. - Thanks for items of news.

J.M.P. - Right. Will be attended to.

G.M., and L.J. Good. Splendid idea.

W.A.H. - C.C. Has taken up your case.

THE Possum – Later. Send some more.

T.L. - Thanks. Between us we'll fix it up.

SHORT RECRONINGS – Forwarded a week ago.

W.N. and F.K. - Our poet says not good enough.

B.N., Childers – Verse well meant, but too crude.

J.N.B. Deep Lead – Yes; cost is 1d. per insertion.

R.H.G. - You should write to Secretary Curtis, at Hughenden.

S.S.S. (Vic.) - Budget arrived just as we were going to press on Thursday morning.

E.T. - You might send an explanation to this office and we shall then decide whether wise to publish.

G.B. - The sermon by Dr. Lyman is a good one from a Labour standpoint, but it is too long to publish.

J.R.M. - The publication of your letter would cause a split which we are sure you do not desire. Usable to return as an address is given.

GEORGE BENNETT writes that H. WESTON, head stockman on Carandotts cattle station, discharged his cook (Bennett) for giving a traveller a dinner.

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ED. WORKER – Mr. Thomas Glassey's suggestion re a political fund to meet the expenses at next election will receive the best attention of our union. - UNIONIST, Deep Lead, Pentland.

ED. WORKER – Mythologians and cold water advocates wax warn over one of their fraternity being moved off the public streets, &c., but what about myself? If parsons and Salvation people are allowed to preach their peculiar doctrines in the highways, &c., as an advocate of discontent against social injustice, I shall preach also. - E.Y. Lowry (Alderman, Townsville.)

Ed. WORKER – We are glad to notice that the bootmakers have on foot a co-operative movement to establish their own factories to work for themselves. It may take time to put themselves on a sound foundation but people are so sick of “private enterprise” and shoddy goods, that if the union bootmakers have a registered trade mark with this co-operative movement and produce only genuine goods, in time they would get the sympathy and trade of the whites of Queensland. - UNIONIST, Deep Lead, Pentland.

ED. WORKER – How to settle the black labour question: Let New Zealand commence to manufacture beet sugar. Two crops of beet cab be grown per year. N.Z. Can easily compete with the continent of Europe; then the other colonies will follow. - A SKETCHER. [This will not solve the problem. The only way to settle the question is to pass an Act of Parliament prohibiting the employment of the alien. The profits made in the sugar industry are more than enough to permit of the payment of decent wages to white men. - Ed. WORKER.]

F. P. J. asks; I put my horse for one night in a paddock where I admit I had no right, strictly speaking. In the morning (Sunday) the owner put the horse in his yard and intimated that it was in pound. Can a horse be impounded on a Sunday? How long can the owner of the property from which the horse is impounded keep it in his own yard before driving to the nearest legal poundyard? Is he entitled to put the horse in his own yard, intimate that it is impounded, and offer to release it on payment of a certain sum, which he fixes?

[A horse found trespassing may be seized and detained on a Sunday, although it cannot be delivered to the poundkeeper on that day. The proprietor may keep the horse in his own yard for a period not exceeding four days before delivering it to the poundkeeper, and he can demand payment of the same charges for feeding and maintaining the horse as may be demanded by the nearest poundkeeper. - ED. W.]

ED. WORKER – Mr. J. Kingsbury, M.L.A., is reported to have remarked, in reference to Townsville, there was not an idle man in the place, &c.,&c. As this politician made only a hurried visit through our town his observations are not worth much consideration. Much harm is done by the statements of Nelson, Tozer, and other persons that “there are no unemployed at the coastal towns.” Poor unfortunate out-of-works are sent on a wild goose chase thereby. After a three weeks' close study of the labour market here, I assure the public there are 125 men idle (this is below the mark) and personal knowledge. A few days ago fourteen men were required for lumping work and I counted 110 men waiting for the job. Carpenters and painters fairly employed – though some are idle. Bricklayers and other trades idle. The labour market is completely glutted and cut-throat competition very keen. - F. Y. Lowry, alderman, Townsville. (P.S. - For three weeks I got a sixteen hours' show at a boat. Men arriving here every boat. Warn the workers! - F. Y. L.)

ED. WORKER – Tenders for the Coolgardie railway were opened on June 11 at the office of the Director of Works Perth. The Government estimate of the cost of the line is said to be £131,000. The amounts of the tenders were: M'Neil, £130,000; Atkins and Law, £120,000; Hedges, £117,000; M'Dowell, £97,000; Smith and Timms, £85,000; Baxter and Price, £77,000; Wilkie Bros, £64,000. The last tender is the lowest and of course has been accepted. The price is less than one-half of the Government officer's estimate, or £86,000 less than the highest tender, and so exceptionally low that many contractors refused to believe the amount stated was correct, but we are told that the tenderers look for their profit on traffic to repay them on the contract. Smart reckoners these contractors must be, or do they expect to get the rails for nothing? Surely contracts of this kind ought to open the eyes of the workers who in the end will have to pay the bill “we make no profit on the job and have to reduce wages,” which is easily done in the Golden West, there being no organisations but any amount of unemployed labour. - C.W.