AUSTRALIAN BUSHMEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 22, 27 January 1939, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN BUSHMEN.

Under the above heading "Fed Up" writes claiming that her husband, a. firet-dass beadt--111 a 11. has been out of work for a period of eight years. lam curious to know who thia worker can be. for it hae been an impossibility to supply eawmillere with the required number of first-clase benchnven. The lady claims that her hueb&nd had at one time got in touch with the union secretary, but to no ava.iL This may have been in the period of depreseios, but an examination of our books will »how that every benchman 'who hae applied for S job has ejjfrer got one, or had the offer of one that he has turned down. We have bad instances of men claiming- to be benrfimea (which is the key job in the country mills) and on sending them to the job they have proved unsatisfactory. In other instances we have sent men to jobe in the country, and they have left the job after a week or two, due to the fact that they do not like the country life. It must be understood that most henchmen's jobs are in the country, as the benching system is mostly operated in email country mills employing from Hr& up to 20 men. Aβ far ae the Australia* Irasbuen, and Itenchmen, are concerned; there will be, none brought here unless there are job* nrniliMn for them, so it will not inflict any injustice on the unionists here, and as the general outlook of our mcmbere is one of* fraternity with the Australian timber workers, I know I am speaking for them, when I say that anything that can be done in this country te help oar unfortunate fellow unionists in Australia, will receive the endorsement of at least 99 per cent of the timber workers in Ne,w Zealand. F. CRAIG, Secretary (Auckland Branch), Xew TnaTani Timber Workers' Uaioß.