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LABOUR IN MADRAS


it necessary to arrange for opening a bank from which you will borrow money at a reasonable rate of interest. The third is not yet fully matured but it will come into existence very soon. I am trying to open in this place an Ayurvedic Dispensary. Now for the purpose of running our bank very smoothly it is necessary that a Committee of 9 or 10 among you should be formed. Therefore I want you after the speeches are over with the help of Mr. Kalyanasundaram Mudaliar and Mr. Kamath to go into the question of electing a Committee of 10 or 12, whom you must implicitly trust and to whom we may go for advice, and money will be lent to you. That is all the informatiom so far as the relief work is concerned that I have to give you. I have one more word of advice to offer to you and it is this. With the difficulties which we have overcome now a new era opens out before you as labourers engaged in work in one or another of the big factories at Perambore or Choo!ai. I have asked you repeatedly in the past to take care of the good name of the Union. That advice was given to you when the name of the Union was small; to-day the name of the Union is somewhat great and therefore your responsibility to maintain that good name has also increased. The fact has gone round the country that the labourers in the Mills in suffering have shown a splendid example of courage, of tact, of patience and quiet waiting ; that good name also for yourselves has to be maintained. Therefore both your own name and the name of the Union is in your good keeping. I appeal to you not to do anything in word or in deed which will go to spoil the good name of the Union as well as your own