THE LABOUR TROUBLE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 71, 22 March 1912, Page 2

THE LABOUR TROUBLE.

BOOTMAKER'S FBOTEOT , . The Auckland branch of the Boot Operatives' Union, - as numbering in its ranks over 400 citizens, forwarded a letter to the City Council last night, deprecating the Mayor's action In not meeting the representatives of the General Labouren' Union ( and demanded that such a conference should be conceded.

PIONEERS' BTALWIART SONS. In other vein, John McLeod (Waipu) ■wrote, encouraging the Mayor to stand firm against labour agitators, and their cheeky conduct. Incidentally he spoke of labour agitators as " sponging on the unfortunate labourer; their wires and daughters living on the best, and dressing in silks and satins, while the striker's poor wife had to sell her beet gown to feed the baby." In the writer's opinion the married man ought to have a separate vote on the strike ballot, and hie wife ought to have a say in the matter, too. This old pioneo.r from Waipu stated that if the City Council should find itself in a corner it should send notice to the old pioneers, who would send their stalwart sons to assist, and, by wav of Parthian shot, he added that " those agitators better let the farmers alone, in case they stop their supply, which would bring them to a better frame of mind." The letters were " received."

BOTH SIDES OF THE QUESTION

To-night a general meeting of the members of the Timber Workers' Union is to be held in the Federal Hall, to hear addresses from Professor MUIb and Mr. 11. Scott Bennett on the dispute now pending between the Labourers' Union am! the local bodies. Professor Mills will speak from 8 to 9 p.m., and will deal witi the unity scheme; Mr. Bennett will speak from 9 to 10 p.m., and will present the case for the Federation of Labour. The meeting will be open to all unionists.

MANIFESTO BT THE FARMERS UNION. >

New Zealand Farmers' Union, Auckland Province, March 21st, 1912. (To the Qdltor.) Sir, —In compliance with a request by members of the Provincial Executive of the N. Z. Farmers' Union that I ehould write a letter clearly stating the attitude out Union in this Province Will take in the event of strikes. I enclose you a copy asking that you will kindly ptrblWh it.—l am, etc., D. 11. LL'SK. President NX Farmers' Union, Auckland Province.

N«W Zealand Farmers' Union, Auckland Province, Mai-cli 21st, 1912.

Aβ noted in your late issue, the Executive of the Farmers' Union at their quarterly meeting, held yesterday, gave some consideration to the question of strikes generally, and in particular to the current rumour that th« officials controlling the Federation of Labour contemplate a general or combined strike of all the unions or workers controlled by them. The views of fanners generally on this important eubjr>ct and the action decided upon by the Executive of this union having been very shortly and imperfectly reported, it has been deemed advisable that I, as President, should state clearly the position wo take \n surh disputn and the means by which we propose to safeguard our own interests. Before doing so, however, I desire to draw attention to gome facts, which should b? carefully borne in mind. That any general strike of workers must necessarily affect every section of the community whether they are concerned in the matter immediately in dispute or not, with thu poesible consequence of raising a strong opposition to thu striker* from • large section of the community who otherwise Are inclined to be friendly, or at any rate have no wish to be drawn into the quarrel. The relation that town or trading interests bear to country or farming interests is important in thin connection, seeing that tke town workers, who propose striking, have no complaint against the formers and the farmers have no quarrel with the town workers, but a general StriVp' of city workers would at onre dU'%.-;isfl the whole business of the community. Perhaps some energetic members of the Labour Council would say—ail the better, because it shows our power and helps to ensure us victory in the dispute. Both the trading and labouring classes of the towns are, however, too apt to exaggerate their owtT importance in relation to the whole Dominion, t>.nd should bear in mind that nine-tenths of the whole subsistence of the community comes from and is produced by the workers of the land—that the town and their inhabitants are absolutely dependent upun the country—not the country or its workers upon the town people, for certainly tho farmer could live without the towns, but the towns cannot possibly live or exist a month if cut off from the country and the farmers' products. The farmers, however, ar not only raising food for themselves and to supply the town dwellers, but have established a large export and import trade With other countries, which, by the way, is the main source of the living gained by town workers and traders. Now this profitable buiiness of the farmers would at once be jeopardised by a strike, and hence the need of a clear understanding between them and the Federation of Labour.

I repeat again the Farmers' Union have at present no quarrel with you and wish none—do us, the farmers, no injury and we will do you no wrong; but it you endeavour to damage our trade, hindering the transport of our produce and impeding the import of manures, implements, etc., then in self-defence we must go dead against you, and I may as well say straight out that tbe farming community will not allow anybody to interfere with or destroy their business and are quite prepared to assemble a sufficient number of stalwart young farmers not only to eecure the handling and transport of their goods, btit to maintain law and, order in the city while doing SO. The farmer is a very peace-loving person if you don't injure his farm, but it you do he is strong enough to command the situation.— l am, etc., D. H. LUSK. President N.Z. Farmers , Union.