File:John Burns 1889.jpg

Identifier: apostleoffreelab00coll (find matches)
Title: The apostle of free labour : the life story of William Collison, founder and general secretary of the National Free Labour Association, told by himself
Year: 1913 (1910s)
Authors: Collison, William National Free Labour Association
Subjects: Collison, William Labor unions -- Great Britain History Strikebreakers -- Great Britain
Publisher: London : Hurst and Blackett
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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gressive politician love to see it recorded that he playeda part in innumerable industrial conflicts. Tom Smith, or JackRobinson, at the start of things, knows full well that he hasa thousand namesakes just as likely as himself to earn publichonours. But when it can be said that Tom Smith or JackRobinson espoused the cause of the Starving Dockers, the Sweated Needlewomen or the Indigent Organ-grinders,he becomes a person of some consequence in the popularimagination, and another rung has been gained in the ascent ofthe political ladder. The pity of it is that although some ofthese men have sincere sympathies with the causes they espouse,they sympathize not wisely but too well. Save us from ourfriends should be the constant prayer of every honest TradeUnionist. The midnight meeting at the Memorial Hall brought uspublicity. The hmelight had been directed on to our humblestage, and as a consequence we were inundated by offers from Star performers. John Burns, of whom hereafter I shall 30
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JOHN BURNS. 1889. (Facing p. 30. TRADE UNIONS 31 have much to say, shouldered his way into the thick of things;Fred Henderson, of whom hereafter I shall have nothing to say,was another. Fred Hammil, the selected hb.-lab. candidatefor Newcastle-on-Tyne, and Frank Smith, the selected lib.-lab.candidate for Hammersmith, were others. Then, on the 5th ofNovember, 1889, I received the following letter : Dear Sir, I wish to know if you will be so good as to giveme a few instances of the hardships and tyrannies to whichthe Omnibus and Tram men are subjected. If you canin your leisure time devote a few hours to writing themdown on paper, or getting others to write down their experi-ences, I will pay you for the time so occupied, as I amanxious to obtain actual facts to help the mens cause withthe public. I am, Yours faithfully, T. SUTHERST. W. Collison, Esq. Now, who was Thomas Sutherst ? Horatio Bottomley, inlater days, described him as A man who sometimes promotedCompanies and sometimes stri

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