LABOUR LEGISLATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 13, 15 July 1936, Page 13

LABOUR LEGISLATION

HANDICAP TO DAIRY FARMERS

VIGOROUS CRITICISM

(By Telegraph) (Special to the "Evening Post.") NEW PLYMOUTH, This Day. The changing attitude of dairy farmers to the' Government as a result of the labour legislation was indicated by a discussion at a meeting of the Egmont County Council yesterday, when vigorous opposition to the public works standard of wages and hours, with the consequent difficulty of obtaining farm labour, was expressed.

Mr. W. C. Green,, a former member of-the.Dairy Board,-said-that one of the largest suppliers to the Rahotu Dairy Company, a farmer milking 140 cows; was forced to give up his farm and hold a clearing sale because of the impossibility of obtaining farm labour. No one would . work "on, a farm when he could earn 16s V day on road work.

That the Government . was fast dividing the country into two camps, employers on one hand and employees on the other, was the opinion expressed by Mr. J. S. Tosland, who said that from sheer necessity those' who employed labour would have to be on the opposite side to the Governments . . . ...

The discussion arose from a ■'report, that local body employees would not 'be permitted to form their own union, but would have to join a union already in. existence.

Mr. W. A. Sheat said that the Prime Minister, the Minister of Public Works, and another member of Cabinet had agreed that it was a reasonable proposition that local body employees should be allowed to form their own union. Later that decision was. set. aside apparently at the instance of the general secretary of the General Labourers' Union. The General Labourers' Union at New Plymouth, had also blocked1 the formation of a separate union for local body employees. The entire purpose of the big union was to enable its leaders to dictate to the Government and local bodies.