To the Unorganised.

*THE WORKER*

Brisbane May 12, 1894

To the Unorganised.

A word with you, my non-union friend. You never joined a union; you failed to see in what way it would benefit you, and you can get along without it. This is your view of the matter. Well, let us see.

Suppose we all held that view, what then? The unions out of the way, one man as good as another; every man would be for himself, the Lord for us all, and the devil might take the hindmost. So you think. Very good. You are holding a steady situation, and receiving, say, ₤2 a week. A man comes along looking for work. He is hard up. He offers his services to your employer at a half-crown less per week than you are getting. Your employer is human and accepts the offer.

What is the result? You change places with the man out of a job, walk the streets until you are disgusted, and offer your services to some other employer for anything you can get. Do you perceive? Just look that point square in the face, my non-union friend, and you will see that the result would be a beautiful example of “reduction descending” as we call it in school and you can continue the process until you are working for nothing. This is one reason why you should join a union. – Patterson Labour Standard.