THE FOLLY OF IT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 20, 18 October 1917, Page 6

THE FOLLY OF IT

Sir,—Yesterday's "Evening published the following telegram from Wellington :—"The market ,< is almost bare of onions. A 6tnall consignment auctioned this morning; brought the record price of .£144 13s. id. per .ton." A little time ago there was n deputnI tion to the Prime Minister on the Mgh cost of living, and there is a daily agitation on this question by the Labou? members and people. A steamer has been held up in Wellington for weeks, the wharf labourers refusing to unload her because she was loaded in Australia by "free labour" (truly patriotic and loyal, for the etrika in Australia was caused by German influence ond I.W.W. methods). But tha ohief point of-this letter is that this same steamer has a big cargo of oniona on. board, so that many a working man is going without onions in his Irish stew because his fellow working men won't unload a boat that has been loaded by "free" (no better word for the bravo fellows) labour. And worse still is the fact that we are short of drugs ami necessary medicines in New Zealand, jet a quantity is heldup on this steamer by this same "patriotic" crowd. At Wanganui recently there was not a' bottle of castor oil to be obtained. Jack Platelayer's little boy is dying for the medicine I that Bill Wharff er refuses to unload. But what is the Government doing? Why on earth have they not insisted on the clearing l ' of this ship, by force if necessary. The country would ba behind them.—l am, etc., ANTI-AGITATOES. Palmerston North, October 17.