scholarship history

bring 5 ideas to question 3 as prior knowledge must be shown (for outstanding, bring more maybe)

socio economic forces shaping politics in the 1880s

long depression gave way to these forces - NZ financial situation was grim, unable to borrow money. government was unable to shape the economy. in NZ, small scale farming was important political factor. the long depression meant that south island dominance decreased and north island did better because it was trading with australia

working conditions in 1880s

people moved to NZ to be rid of the old evils - they wanted fair wages and working conditions. however there was abuse of labor throughout the land - females and children were used as workers because they were cheaper

why liberal government came about in 1890s

socio economic forces in 1880s allowed liberals to come into government. they were the first political party of New Zealand. their big priority was land reform and they created several Land Reform Legislations including income tax and different land acts as well as educating farmers - they were also praised with turning NZ into a land of small farmers meaning that the population could develop an economic niche. they also regulated working conditions, had wages paid in cash and regulated working hours

how 1890 elections was watershed

Richard Seddon, liberal elected in 1890. party manifesto was created in 1890s - before that there was no “vote for me because i will do this” and there was no support for people who lost their jobs. NO worker rights before 1890s and no unions.

KEY NOTE AND POINT TO MAKE

long depression created tension in NZ because prices dropped and unemployment rose. 1890 election came after the long depression and 1935 election came after the great depression

1890s liberal era

began with 1890, ended with WW1. important period of economic development, political life and national feeling. Richard Seddon was an important figure to a certain extent - his qualities helped with development, but other individuals affected the era more. main liberal support came from depressed town and country feeds into the idea that people need government after depression. two events helped liberals get into government, one being the sweating scandal in urban industry and two being the maritime strike

1870s and 1880s

• no worker rights

• no political parties

• little government interference in economy

• provinial government (divided into areas

• “there is no sense of Nationhood up until the 1890s” and arguably no state

richard seddon

• in response to the role of the individual

• historical forces and individuals SHAPE HISTORY

• in NZ, big men with big voice get into parliment and seddon fits this role

• firm government

• Richard seddon was significant in our history because quite pro worker - he was a man with the people

communists and strike

the red feds are a communist group created with worries about worker rights. they are a KEY GROUP and emerge in the 1906 to 1913 when a lot of change is happening. in 1910, they form the federation of labor. → at this time, unions are bad.

NUMBER 1 THING THAT HAPPENS - SPLIT IN UNION MOVEMENTS → MODERN ABROTRATIONISTS (who would only talk to two people because they are reasonable)

the strikes change worker employer relationship because of the open violence - FOR NEW ZEALAND, THIS STRIKE IS SIGNIFICANT STRIKE however the rest of the world doesn’t really think this because of ww1 and more violence 

sweating, relationship between worker and state

• 19th century, unregulated working conditions. married men earnt more than single men, men earnt more than women

• long depression, labor was cheaper

• created the Tailoresses Union in 1889 after strong public support for public workers

• reform of working conditions so old world evils didn’t come back

arbitrations

arbitrations in general = Arbitration is a private, out-of-court method of resolving disputes. Both sides agree to present their case to an impartial third party (the arbitrator), who reviews the evidence and makes a final, legally binding decision.

the Arbitration system was implemented because Unions were too weak to strike after the defeat of 1890. This act meant that unions were legally recognized under the Act. It also outlawed lockouts (where employers refused employees work) and also outlawed strikes by registered unions.

Unions at first mostly thought this was good and employers thought it limited their powers. However by 1905, the workers didn’t like arbitration as it refused to adjust wages to match inflation. This encouraged unions around large industries rather than smaller occupations to create bigger groups

1913 great strike

two spark events - the 6th of October Taupiri Coal Mines dismissing 16 miners, seen as Red Feds and the Waterfront strike where Wellington shipwrights and the Union steamship Company disagreed over wages and condition

the 1913 strike was where the country workers went on strike all over the nation in places like Wellington and Auckland (mainly), but also the south Island. down south in greymouth, there was a lot of support for the strike, so much so that authorities did not initally send in special constables because they knew they would be outnumbered. in auckland, there were lots of militants but not too much violence. maori expressed sympathies for the protests, and encouraged maori not to join as special constables.

special officers were when farmers were hired and armed with weapons to control the striking workers.

the united federation of labor was unenthusiastic about the strike from the start, but they felt obligated to lead the process. when they called for a general strike on the 10th of november, there was little public support to physically join it. by the 17th of december, the strike was considered over.

quotes from new zealand historian Michael Belgrave

“[The] New Zealand paradise relied… on the belief that wages were high and employment expanding.”

“Rather than Arcadia, in the 1890s to many the country was beginning to look more like an urban slum or an industrial Hades.”