482 proceedings op section g. 



Conclusion. 



At the present day, with its hard and fast divisions of labour; 

 its fluctuations of demand and supply; and its crushing competi- 

 tive rings and interests, the intelligent wage-earner perceives 

 plainly enough that, as a unit, he is perfectly helpless, and that 

 he can only succeed in bearing up against opposing organized in- 

 terests by a similarly organized action. 



No one who has closely followed the struggle of workmen during 

 the last forty years can fail to perceive that upon this organization 

 (solidarity) rests the whole strength of their position in the indus- 

 rial scheme, and that anything which tends to weaken or 

 demoralize their centres of organization meets with their most 

 strenuous resistance; for it is manifest to them that the breaking 

 or weakening of the heart or centre of their organization detaches 

 them again to helpless units, who are thus rendered unable to 

 enforce any claim whatever. 



I am decidedly of opinion, therefore, that such combinations 

 amongst wage-earners have rendered incalculable benefits to their 

 class in the suppression of oppressive labour laws; in the reduc- 

 tion of the evils and abuses relating to employment of women and 

 children; in improvement in the provisions for the safety and 

 health conditions of those engaged in mines, factories, and work- 

 shops; in the limitai.ions of " sweating " abuses and other crying 

 evib. I also regard organized combination and co-operation 

 amongst wage-earners, not only of paramount necessity to them, 

 but that, when all better modes of appeal for reasonable and prac- 

 ticable concessions are unavailing, the last and terrible resort to 

 " strike " may, in very extreme cases, not only be justifiable, but 

 imperative. • 



But while much has been granted as to the necessities and ad- 

 vantages of organized labour associations it cannot be overlooked 

 that many expect by the arbitrary action of wages boards and 

 " strikes " to effect what is plainly an utter impossibility, even 

 if employers submitted at every point. 



A " strike," e.g., may be the means of successfully raising the 

 status of som.e branches of labour that are comparatively under- 

 paid or overworked ; it may raise the real wages or purchasing 

 power of an industry in a particular district which laboured under 

 the average standard of all other districts; it may be the means 

 of forcing employers to give a fairer or larger share of the reward 

 of their joint industry; but from the very nature of the common 

 source of all reward — viz., the actual products created by the com- 

 bined productive forces of directing skill, labour, and employers 

 costly allied auxiliary natural forces— such enforced action of 



