THE PLANS OF "WEARY WILLIES."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 559, 14 July 1909, Page 10

THE PLANS OF "WEARY WILLIES."

; .;<■, SOME LABOUR IDEALS. ;' . F" : as sees them;; .;.'■:. . IThe. fanner and. the trades .unionist are; pbrhaps'destined'always : to look- at-;things; through spectacles of different colours. Just ,now what the trades unionists consider seri-. ous and reasonable propositions; ■ and have ■entered on the' order paper of;the Labour ,Conference, the Wellington Provincial Executive, of the Farmers' Union.(sitting.at,-Pal-merston North) has looked, at as .precursors of "high,jinks" for "Weary/Willies.":^This; humorous _ Wellington Executive of the ..Farmers' TJnion has : issued, to.' its branches a criticism of the labour proposals, in which it points out that, in) addition to the usual endeavours , ' to placo 'the' burden of upon : "the;.other.- fellow,"' labour now proposes in its order;.paper to.ask for ; a State subsidy for trades union'insurance funds against unemployment.. .;..;.. .. .■.-■''.;■ "Imagine the Fanners' Union cirxular) the .increase: of-.-..unemployed .'.; we would have if it were subsidised I ■ ;Then, again, our old friend the ' State farm, , where the ' unemployed should 'have' the right to claim employment ■'.■at. : a '•■ living ; wag«, J is brought up. What 'high jinks' there would be; there 1 What discussions as to what constituted a; living wage 1 ■ The ' Weary ' Willie,' who lives by periodical,visits to farmers, with'gentle exercise between, at present considers a living wage, a little bit -of-I tucker and tea-and enough • tobacco-to enable him to pass the time on the road; but •his demands would no doubt increase if he could' go from one State farm to another and' find-.out at which the best food was combined with:the least.work. When these sources of livelihood were exhausted, these 'Weary Willies'would be able to get work in, some of the national works which are demanded;and if they preferred.indoor work they could: get into a boot factory; or a change, if required, could be had by joining one of the numerous boats in the .'service of the Stat©—, perhaps one on. the Wellington'-Lyttelten run, for the advantages of a sea' life with the pleasures of town could in•; that way be combined. ; . ' .

"The leaseholders who fatten on the undone work of the worker are not forgotten, and are to have a Fair Bent Bill passed, which would enable them ft> contribute more to the State.' We think the branches of the union should study these remits and platform, and let us hear their views upon them. Year by year the demands of the-trade-unions are becoming more and more Socialistfc,'till now the ' Socialist and the Trades andi'liabour Council, are .'synonymous. There a large'body of workers who are,.not under the tyranny'-of the Labour leaders, and these workers should have.the farmers' side of the case presented to them."