Page:Labour in Madras.djvu/175

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LABOUR IN MADRAS 149 “Why don't you give way? We shall see later on." Do not give way, because this is a moral issue. Are you allowing more than a thousand men to suffer because some Commissioner says: “ Later on I will see what to do.” No. The issite is clear. We cannot altogether trust the word of the Tramway Company, because in the last strike all the terms that the Company came to were not kept. Last time it was agreed that the men who led and engineered the strike, would not be turned out. Mr. Powell did not keep his promise. On one pretext or another the men have been sent out. What Mr. Powell has done in the past he will do in the future, Are you going to risk the position of these men who have suffered? Are you going to allow it? I hope not. You will excuse me for speaking at length. But I feel very strongly in the matter. Our future depends on these poor classes. These people should be banded together and this is an effort at it-and if we are going to allow these efforts to go to wreck and ruin we will be neglecting one of our gravest responsibilities, one of our most solemn duties. (Cheers). REPRESENTATION OF LABOUR IN ENGLAND. On April 26th, 1919, Mr. Wallia made the follow ing speech: MY BROTHERS, We are beginning our weekly ineeting from to day. I propose to put before you next Saturday some very important points for consideration. We shall then be able to tell you definitely what work we propose to do in the future for the Labour Movement in India and also in England. Several of our Indian friends are going to England and I wish the Madras Labour Union