William E. Murphy

“ He will not be the first to learn that peace of mind and prosperity do not always go hand in hand with notoriety. Neither do I propose to defend other members of trade organisations, whose instincts led them into using expressions of animosity or antagonism to that gentleman. My object is to advise the public to be careful of Mr. Bruce Smith's statements of the relative value of labour from his point of view, which should not in all fairness be published while the issue is sub judice. ”

“ The morning papers following a debate at the Trades-hall Council tells which way the wind blows around the corner of Victoria and Lygon streets, but from the 1st October, 1885, till the advent of the year of grace 1886, the sanctity of the chamber over which Mr. Smith presides in Collins street west does not appeal to have been disturbed by the intrusion of a reporter. ”

“ It will perhaps be in the province of the board of conciliation to pronounce upon the question from a statistical and proportional point of view, after some thing of the following manner, viz. if the heavy cargo from the old country, quoted at 7s. 6d. per ton by steamer, and carried 16,000 miles , is brought here by seamen at wages varying from £2 15s. to £3 5s. per month what is the difference between that and the price of cargo between here and Sydney, a distance of 500 miles at 5s. per ton and seamen's wages? ”