I Struck for Better Wages

DESCRIPTION: "I struck for better wages and they said I was a fool, And the crafty 'hagitator' merely used me as a tool." His children starve; they say it serves him right, because it hurts the economy -- except at election time, when the politicians pander
AUTHOR: unknown (one edition attributes it to "Kudyard Ripling")
EARLIEST DATE: 1893 (Auckland "New Zealand Herald," according to Bailey/Roth-ShantiesByTheWay-NZ)
KEYWORDS: political New Zealand hardtimes strike
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Bailey/Roth-ShantiesByTheWay-NZ, p. 84, "I Struck for Better Wages" (1 text)
Colquhoun-NZ-Folksongs-SongOfAYoungCountry, p. 84, "I Struck for Better Wages" (1 text, 1 tune)
Garland-FacesInTheFirelight-NZ, p. 166, "(I Struck for Better Wages)" (1 excerpt)
File: BaRo084

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