FAEM LABOURERS UNION.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12509, 23 May 1906, Page 8

FAEM LABOURERS UNION.

—~ — ... to the Enrroß or "the press." Sir,—ln reply to your* correspondent in Saturday* paper, it is not again:A ttie wag-s I. w».s writing. I know that they have not been very high—in fact, tho wors: of ail for years. I myself have worked a team of threo hcivea many a week for 15s per week; that was Avhen I was a boy. But it was against the ri.onict-.or.s, such as overtime, etc. Now. 1 know a farmer has oncug'a worry, wh.it w.th sparrows, hail, , and wind and weather, without haras- i sing him about a few nunures' over- . time and Arbitration Courts, etc. A I farm is not. like a worksnop or lactory; ' you can't perhaps knock off on the tick , of 5 p.m.. or start, to the minute, always.— lours, etc.. OLD CLODHOPPER. TO THE EDITOR OT "THE I'RESS." Sir,—Your correspondent in Saturday "Prits" told us tne Laboure-is' Un.on meant a. fair 'wage lor a lair day's work. Now I contend they want moic. For in-ta..ce, hvw many plouglimen work e:glit Uouifi a day now? \ cry j L\v— ay a X-w — rv>e at six o'ciock. tne j majority b.twjun O.iiO and 7 a.m. They have tno stable about o.ght, get yoked up S.3U to tt.45 a.m., 11. 00, start again 1.10 to 1.30, s:-jp o p.m. The av-L-1-..ge- w„iki'Ug vine. ol to 7 bouts p=r day, w"ii-au w.nk.ng. Again, tuk<3 la&t wovit for a sample. Monday, h:i*.\ . Tu.suay, lino until two o clock in al-terno^-n." Hors.w iv at thiL-e in uw afternoon. Wednesday, wet. Jack mending a few sucks, or oh ailing cut the stable and cutting up tobacco. « Thui>day, hue, land too wet to work. S.nt Jack to cut a fence. Ho got tlie gor-o knife giound by 8.30, waliic.t ste-auiiv to j./l>, started 8.45, broke gorse liuife about 10.30, took reinaindor or mo.niiig to get it repaired, woiKc-a ail afternoon. , Friday, fie.c. Tried to harrow and dr.il, land sticky, but pushed on. Saturday, hue. Wo iked all dayunion halt'-hol.diiy net in force yet. New, Sir, we don't want to blame the men for bad weatlur, but wo want them to remember that during the winter tin-re ia a lot ot kst time we have to pay for; nan aud 'iioik.s havo to be ted and cared for. • Again, tho farmer has to compete with Cue world with his produce not 1-tko the men in town, who call ou Dick for nitre prat.ct.cn to keep out foreign competition. The farmer mow pays tha hi'dieet coiiMiioiuig his returns. Vieieronee.io inemoers ot tlie Union in employment sounds harmkv*; let us s-ee. A large number of small farmeiis aro indifferent,- thinking it will net affeot them. Ihey say they only want a chap occasionally, let the b.g man fight his own battles. But when you want a man for a day or two to clean a drain you must pay a big wage and find him in gum boots. Will he take care of a 30s pair of boots? Ho may, or lie may knock a hole in them niKi oast you the prioe of the work twico over. Now about tho preference". Let mc illustrate a case alter it becomes law.* It is spring tUme, and Farmer Hodge s mangolds want weeding. A swagger cnap Gonitis along. "Any enow tor a job, boss." "Oh yes, give a hand'to weed thwso mangolds." "All right." Bo*s and swagger start to work about nine o'clock iv the morning and work peacefully together until dinner time. About 1.30 in the afternoon a motor bike comes round tho coiner. Mo notice is taken of this until a tall man jumps oit tho bike. Jb.e is dressed in a greysuit, wears a cap with a big gold bund round it labelled in big,hitters "Inspector ot .Labour." —.c steps on the icuoe, sings out in a very authoritative voice "in there, come here, Hodge." Hodge goes to tho fence and tho following ounveisation takes place:— Inspector—ls that man hoeing a member oi vne Union if Hedge—l'm blest if I know, I haven't asked iiim. * Inspector—Are you not aware that three mLmbcirs of the Union are out ot empioymenit in th.s district? jaooge—.No, 1 never thought of it, and don't core. Inspector—Oh, discharge that man at once. Hodge—What's that to do with you? Tho lantl s my own. Surely 1 can est on who I like? Inspector—i shall proceed against you according to law. Hodge loses iiis temper and wishes him in a hotter place tli'an India. Hodge in Court—James Hodge, farmer, was charged with a breach of t'ho Labour Union award in that he did employ a non-Unionist while Union men were out of work in his district. Inspector Catchem gave evidence. He said he visited the tarni of defendant on 6th inst. and found a non-Unionist hoeing mangolds. He requested defendant to take on Union labour and dischargo the man. Defendant became very abusive and used bad language. Reginald Bumptious said—"l am secretary of the local branch of .the Union. About 10.30 a.m. on the 6th inst. I was informed that Hodge had a nonUnionist hoeing mangolds. I tele-' phoned to the inspector. There were Union men out of work in the district. Ono respected member, the president, had been out of work for ten days. He lived about half a mile from the defendant." This was all tho evidence for the prosecution. James Hodge, the defendant, pleaded ignorance of the law. With regard to old Tom Jones, the president, who was out of work, Hedge said Jc-nes would not have come if lie had gone for him, as he said last year ho was too stiff for weeding now. Tho Bench—Why did you not consult Mr Bumptious Hodge—Lor bless your Worship, he lives five miles away from mc. Prosecuting counsel—lt is a very aggravated case, your Worship, I must pres<s for a substantial fine. The Bench—Fined £5 nnd ccsts cf Court; if repeated, doubta fine nest time. After being fleeced of £8 or £!) by the limb of the law Hedge staggers out of Court, over to the pub. fumbles out ono of his last sixpences, and has a glass of whisky. While drinking it he e-.iys to the barman, an old friend, "I'm off, Tom, if I can only sell my place. I'm off to next, boat." Your*?, etc., a small farmer. suicide". (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, May 22. Gunner John Hay, of the Permanent Artillery, aged thirty-six, tdiot himself to-day near the Point Halswell Fort, where he was stationed. He leaves a widow and one child.