THE OPPRESSED SALARIED MAN

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 275, 14 August 1920, Page 7

THE OPPRESSED SALARIED MAN

Sir,—Some time ago you did me tho kindness to publish in your columns a, latter in which I tried to arouse local ' bodies' officials and all grades of salaried men to combine in a society for tho preservation of ilheir rights. Financiers, I said, kept their homes cosy, shopkeepers, "passed on" the price of life, labourers, blowing their strength when combined, took care oi tnoir interests by main force, tongueftcd by fear of dismissal, we, tho timid salaried men, were alone without voice. Wo are doubly hit. The financier or shopkeeper charges us more, tue lauourcr ■ does the same. Our salaries are now worth little more • than half of what they were. Let us have an end to dheso wails. We > havo a, light to charge for our goods as others have, and tho only' way to do this is to. combine to secure reasonable ] conditions of life. 'J1 I am informed that, whether because \\ of my first letter or not, a movement hag i! got going from Wellington to Napier, ) and that the idea has uwl with the ap- , proval of all the county clerks and other j officials notified. Wo are almost without exception very , busy men, and we badly want someone to ■ aerJ as leader, but, perhaps in the first i place, I would suggest clerks in each dis- • trict should got into touch with each, j other, set up small committees to get j imb touch with neighbouring districts, j and then get 6ome advice from Mr. H. j P. Mourant, general secretary, N.Z. j Bank Officers' Guild, Wellington, who in j reply to mv first letter, offered to advise, i I don't think I will require again to ask ilie courtesy of your columns, but; just at present, I don't see how we can well get the subject ventilated otherwise. \Vo are all afraid to "bell the cat." un'il we get together. Wo have no desire to do anything to retard the progress of work, but our children, are, in many cases, deprived of the small scale Vf living which even the artisan 'enjoys. —I am, etc., DUST.