The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-21

long time Many o. the once Big unions are
powe-iess. This - especially true o. zee
lockers. You remember The great docs
str1ke2 Wen Il killed. the union that rnais
IL. and did rot hep the men az al. The
trade union situation n London as dis
tresS.ng
Up 70 ISL the working class in Eag-
land had absolutely no voice in ne goFera-
ment OF the country since then. when
the workingmen began % gain the pr1si-
lege Of casting ballots. more or less spas
-eodtc efforts have Aeen made 70 secure
actual representation OF labor in the mouse
OF commons. TIE frs labor members were
elected in 1874 In 1sSs several others gam
ed their seats. Al present there are nan A
dozen labor members During the past
eleven years TIE workers have Slowly
awakened 20 the fact that even their pres
ent somewhat liberal representation can 90
them no practical good They reaEze now,
that IL is not a voice in the midst Of other
voices which they need. They realize tstat
they cannot achieve their end without 7o-
tanning absolute contro.. Local victories
and the return CT a few members rom
scattered boroughs are not important mat
tsrs- National organization and national
power are necessary. Hence the crgnlza-
ton OF the Independent Labor party. This
party has come into being since the last
general election. The first definite move n
its direction was made IN September. nv.
when the basis OF the present crganlza-
ton was formed al the Trades Congress ID
Glasgow.
The party is soclailstic We shall be
satisfied with nothing bat socialism. mum
icipal socialism. national socialism. in
dustrtal socialism. We know what We
want. and We al want ii. We do not
want to fight for it. but If we cannot
get in in any other way. We will fight
for II, and when we fight we shan night
with determination. The avowed object
OF the Independent Labor party Is to bring
about an industrial commonwealth.
founded on the socialism Of land and IN
dustrial capital. We believe that the
natural political divisions must be on
economical lines"
"Of the wrongs Of the present system
what do you consider TO be the greatest
single oppression upon British working
men?"
Il should say irregularity and uncer-
tainty of employment. You may be
aware that | have made this question a
speciality, and | know that | am speak
ing fact when ] say that in the British
Islands there are over n million able
bodied adult workers. who are neither
drunkards. lcafers nor of less than aver
age intelligence. but who are still out of
employment through no fault of their
own. and utterly unable 10 get work.
Wages appear to be higher than they
were half century ago, but when the
loss of time through lack of employment
is taken into consideration IL is found
that the condition OF the worker has
really refrigerated A small. steady
wage produces greater comfort than
larger sum earned irregularly. If the
right TO earn a living wage were secured
to every worker, most of the questions
which vex us would be solved by natural
process. The situation is surely melan-
choly During the recent dreadful cold
weather relief works were opened at
which men could have four hours work at
sweeping the streets at sixpence an hour
Thousands gathered outside the yard
gate@ as early as 1 a. m. in order to he
at the front of the line. There they
stood, shivering and shaking in the cold,
half-starved and fillei with despair, until
s a. m. when the yards were opened The
rush which followed was little less than
riot. Men were literally trampled to
death in that horrible scramble for the
opportunity TO earn two shillings The
place was wrecked. Hungry men in solid
mass, pushed on by thousands In the
rear. crushed the walls and gates in their
anxiety to find employment. These men
were no loafers
THE average wage. OF unskilled labor
in London. even when 1t keeps up TO the
trades union standard. Is only six pence
an hour. In the English provinces il is
less. Careful study has shown that
nothing under three guineas a week will
enable the average family 1.-TWO adults
and three children) 10 enjoy common COM
fort, not to mention luxuries. Very few
workers in England receive this sum, or
anything like it. That skilled workman