Page:Labour in Madras.djvu/188

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162
LABOUR IN MADRAS


that I have in my mind and the way in which our grievances rnay be redressed, When you are carrying on a fight, there are times when you must be silent, and there are times when you must speak out. This is your time to keep silent. Prepare your organizations, have your Labour Union and then we will see when the time comes what to say and how to say it. Meanwhile in England I shall make it a point to carefully study the organizations there which make the Railwaymen in England a very powerful body. In the meantime I request you with the help of your President to send me a short memorandum containing all that you have to say regarding the particular grievances from which you suffer here at the Perambur Workshop. I thank you very much for the presentation of this address and I promise you that I will leave no stone unturned, and do all that I possibly can to aid all the labourers of India and among them the people who work at the Railway Workshop at Perambur. On May 7th the Printers' Union presented an address to Mr. Wadia, the text of which appears in the appendix. Mr. Wadia in reply made the following speech : MY BROTHERS; I thank you very much for the presentation of the address just read out by you. It is for the first time that I have the pleasure of addressing the members of the Printers' Labour Union. I do not know what actually are the grievances which you want redressed for your own trade, but all I can promise you is that in fighting the cause of the labourers of India your particular difficulties will not be overlooked by me in England. While