*THE
WORKER*
Brisbane,
March 30, 1895.
Longreach
Letter.
ED.
WORKER – Labour members Kerr, Fisher, Turley and Hardacre held a
meeting here on Friday night last. The Town Hall was packed. A good
few workers from the outside were present. I am sure the Labour
members have made a lot of converts here. The following resolution
was unanimously carried: “That in the opinion of this meeting the
Government policy of drift, coercion and maladministration of the
land laws makes it desirable in the interests of the colony that its
services be dispensed with at any early date.”
On
Sunday evening the Labour members were driven out to the Thompson
River by Mr. Dan Walters, who kindly placed his coach at their
disposal. A good few unionists attended them on Sunday night. They
all paid a visit to the Salvation Army barracks, and were much
pleased to hear Lord Carrington hold forth. It was amusing to see one
of the salvation lassies trying to get Turley converted, but without
result. They next tried old Billy, but he was too deaf to hear, so
they had to give him best.
On
Monday the party left by train for Barcaldine, and will hold a
meeting there on Tuesday night, Barcaldine shed on Wednesday night,
Ilfracombe on Friday night, then on to Isisford, Blackall, and Tambo.
The
Central Standard has changed
hands, having been bought by the Brothers Walker. It is to be hoped
the new owners will run the paper as formerly in the Democratic
interest. If not I do not think they will get much support.
I am sorry to say that a large number of men have been
boycotted by the pastoralists, men who have shorn in several of their
sheds before, and all have first-class references. My belief is this
is done to disfranchise the men.
The Government party is expected here on Tuesday, April
2, when all the toffs will don their swallow-tail coats and bend the
knee to Nelson and Co.
Barcaldine is the duly shed shearing in this district as
yet.
March 21, 1895.
W.K.
P.S. - I am just informed that a man called at the
police office, Winton, to see if he could get a pair of boots. The
inspector told him if he would camp among the unionists and bring him
whatever news he could he would then give him a pair of boots. - W.
K.
* * * *
THE English House of Commons has carried a motion by a
majority of 18 in favour of payments of members.
* * * *
National
Art Gallery.
A
gallery of pictures is a delightful recreation, a place of
pleasurable repose for tired people and fagged brains. The National
Gallery to be opened this week in the Town Hall is evidently to be a
retreat of this kind. It is a very good beginning of a splendid
public possession. There the visitor will find a representative
collection of oil and water-colour paintings, and of engravings and
etchings. The great Italian artists are there: Michael Anglo,
Raphael, the Caraccis, Titian, Guercino, Veronese, Vanni, Bolognese,
Testa, Della Bella, Salvator Rosa; France is represented by Poussin,
Moulinier and others; Holland, by Reubens and Ruyadael. There are
copies also of famous pictures including Raphael's Sistine Madonna. A
number of pictures, antique in style, are from the Murray-Prior
bequest. In modern art there are two beautiful water-colours by David
Cox, and some good landscapes of Italy by Montaltia. Five engravings
of Dore'a great pictures will be found on the walls; and local art is
represented by Mr. Rivers' “Woolshed,” pictures by Rayment. No
doubt the nucleus thus formed will receive many additions either as
gifts or loans. The thanks of the citizens of Brisbane and the colony
are due to Mr. Rivers for his untiring energy in getting the gallery
open at last in the face of innumerable obstacles. The gallery is
open free to all; it is public property; and it will be found to
contain a collection of which we may justly be proud.
* * * *
Mr.
Glassey on Tour.
At Esk the leader of the Parliamentary Labour party,
addressed a most enthusiastic meeting last week. Amongst the audience
were many women, who showed considerable interest in the proceedings.
The chairman of the meeting was Mr. Vernon who, after introducing Mr.
Glassey in a few well-chosen words, called upon him to deliver his
address on “Current Politics.”
The Labour leader commenced by expressing pleasure at
the presence of the ladies at the meeting, and looked forward to the
time when Queensland women would have the same right to take part in
the councils of the State as their New Zealand sisters had. Referring
to a quotation from Thomas Carlyle regarding over-production, Mr.
Glassey said: Never were truer sentiments uttered by living man and
more fitted to apply to the condition of things in Queensland. (Loud
cheers.) Go where one will the universal cry is poverty and want
amidst plenty. (Hear,hear.) And, continued the speaker, the cry is
getting louder and louder every year, and must continue to do so as
long as the people submit to conditions under which they now suffer.
[A Voice: “True enough.”] In the cities the terrible spectacle of
a multitude of unemployed and starving haunted one, whilst in the
country the farmers and agriculturists generally with their wives and
families were experiencing the dire results of hard times, no
markets, no prices, high freights, and high interest chargers.
(Hear,hear.) And this, too, in a country whose acknowledged wealth
was boundless, whose gold, cattle, sheep, horses, wool, sugar, and
produce of every kind and description was in abundance, and a country
which, according to that eminent statistician, Coghlan, was possessed
of the most wealth in the world per head of population, a country
whose exports exceeded her imports by over £4,000,000
which, of course, was swallowed by interest on loans negotiated by
heaven-horn financiers, and money exacted from the people by the
absentee shark.
The everlasting cry
of “over-population” previously referred to reminded him of a
conversation he had had with a very respected member of the Upper
House (the Hon. J. C. Hucealer), who claimed that the real trouble
was not over-production but under-communication. (Loud applause.)
Labor statistician proved that the annual vales of production per
inhabitant in Queensland was far greater than that of any
Australasian colony, being £35
19s. 4d.; New South Wales showing £29.
4s. 7d.; Victoria, £25.
19s. 8d.; South Australia, £27.
6s. 7d.; Western Australia, £30.
6s. 11d.; Tasmania, £25
0s. 8d.; and New Zealand, £33.
4s.; and yet they suffered from under-consumption owing largely to
the vast numbers of unemployed men and women and the large reduction
in wages of those who were in work. (Loud applause.) And, again, the
Colonial Treasurer's last statement revealed the facts that in 1892
the imports per head of population amounted to £10.
0s. 5d.; in 1893, £9.
15s. 10d.; whilst the exports for the same years were £20. 7s. 3d.
and £20. 12s. 10d. Their worthy chairman would pardon him (the
speaker) if he asked his bearers if they were free from the mortgage
fiend? [A Voice: “Not much,” and cheers.] did they not sometimes
entertain a feeling of despair and a desire or freedom from bondage?
Was it not a fact that while the toilers wrought hard (morning, noon
and night) there were those who lived on them in luxury and enjoyed
all the pleasures which they – the toilers and wealth producers –
were denied. He would quote to them the remarks of a man whom he
regarded as one of the world's greatest thinkers. He referred to Pope
Leo XIII. In his encyclical on labour he says: “The elements of
conflict to-day are unmistakeable. The growth of industry and the
surprising discoveries of sciences; the changed relations of
employers and workmen; The enormous fortunes of individuals; the
poverty of the masses and the generally moral deterioration, cause
great fear to every honest and thoughtful man. The momentous
seriousness of the present state of things fill every mind with
painful apprehension. . . . All agree that there can be no question
whatever that some remedy must be found for the misery and
wretchedness which press so heavily at this moment on the large
majority of the very poor, due to the concentration of so many
branches of trade in the hands of a few individuals, so that a small
number of rich have been able to lay upon the masses of the poor a
yoke which is little better than slavery.”
(Loud cheers.) And
these very same sentiments advanced by Pope Leo XIII. simply
confirmed what he (Mr. Glassey) and his colleagues had for years been
endeavouring to show the people, and yet they had been subjected to
abuse of the capitalistic press and Parliament whilst the people
still suffered. (Loud applause.) Does it seem hard – nay, cruel –
that so fair a country should have its sons and daughters driven into
the streets? How long was this sort of thing to last? Had the labour
party been a party to all this legalised plunder? (Cries of “No,”
and cheers.) Was it human that such systems should be tolerated?
Surely it was the first duty of a Government to provide that the
hearths and homes should be kept for the fathers, mothers, and
children who inhabited them. At least that was his (Mr. Glassey's)
opinion. (Loud applause.) And he would go further and fearlessly
state that the vast majority of the people of Queensland shared the
same sentiments. To change the present deplorable condition of
affairs was the work of the future. The present party in power were
there too long, and had proved themselves thoroughly incompetent to
govern or restore prosperity to the people, and he advised the
electors at next election to make a change.
At the conclusion of
his speech three cheers were given for Mr. Glassey and the Labour
Party.
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