NOTES FROM SYDNEY.

Grey River Argus, 19 January 1922, Page 6

NOTES FROM SYDNEY.

WHAT ENCOURAGEMENT? Two men—two workmen—were talking the othx day in George Street, Sydney, about their work; about the job they were recently sacked from. “What did the boss say to you, Bill, when he paid you off?” asked his mate. “Oh! He just said, ‘l’m sorry things are so slack. Bill. Here’s your money, I shan’t want you any more’ ’’! .Just about what he said to me,’’ said Jack. “Of course,’’ went on .Jack,’’ 1 suppose the boss has got the right to do as he pleases; it’s his money, you know.’’ “That may be,’’ answered Bill, “that may be, but don't forget we’re not the only two affected. There’s 30 besides us paid off and some of them have been on the job for years the same as you and me.’’ “Well, that don’t alter the case, does it?’’ said Jack. “Whether there’s one or 50, the boss holds the reins, doesn’t he?’’ “Yes he does and cracks the whip when he pleases’’ snapped Bill. “Yes, and that's how* it will always be’’ as sharply answered Jack. “I’m sorry to hear you say that Jack, for 1 know you have worked as hard and conscientiously as any man on the job. I consider that you and men like you have really built up that business of John Brown’s.’’ “Of course we have. 1 don’t deny that, all businesses are built up that way.’’ “Well,’’ rejoined Bill, “and do you think after having helped to build up a business, you and the rest of them should be shunted off on one of life’s sideways until wanted again?” “Well it seems a bit hard,” admitted Jack, “but what can we do?” he asked. “Do? Why, run the businesses ourselves, run them in the interests of the men ami women who really build them up. What sense is there” said Bill, warming to his subject, “in slaving away week in and week out, with the fear all the time of the sack overtaking us. You know as well as I do, Jaclc that we both have been hanging on to life for years by means of the minimum wage and now that has gone. What encouragement is such treatment, to do 1 those things our bosses are always telling un we should do, be industrious, energetic and conscientious. This is a 1 pretty fine Christmas box to take home to the wife and kids—the sack!” “You’re right, Bill, it is” answered * Jack. Jack was now thinking. He; was beginning to see that the “boss” >

was not the great boon he had foolishly thought he was. He was beginning to visualise industry being run upon lines very different from those he had always thought inevitable. “Bill,” said .Jack, meditatively, “you and I have been pals for years. 1 *ve often listened to your ideas as we’ve sat on the job at lunch or in the tram, but I’ve never? quite understood till now quite what you’ve meant. Now I do. We workers—the whole lot of us—have a distinct and real service to perform. We’ve got to run our job and every other job in the interests of human well being, not hi fne interests of a soulless profiteering system.” “And that means a mighty big change doesn’t it?” put in Bill. “Yes, it does; but I can see now that that change has got to come,” answered Jack. “Well, we must get home now I suppose, Bill, and take the sweet Christmast tidings of ‘the sack’.” A LETTER OF SYMPATHY. To the Employers; Gentlemen. — It is really painful to read day by day in your papers of the difficulties and losses you are experiencing in the running of your industries. It is beyond—almost beyond—the wit of man to conceive how you manage to live. We have - reason to know of the bad way in which • many workers find themselves with | only the minimum wage coming in; but j what must be your plight with nothing I coming in and everything going out. j It is a serious situation and the wonder . is how you carry on. We are prompted to ask why you suffer in this fashion? If you were getting anything

out of these industries we could under stand your close attachment to them but to be getting nothing out of then and at the same time burdening your selves with paying wages in order t( run them, is a mystery that is beyond us. Frankly now, tell us why you de it. Don’t let diffidence stand in the way of a disclosure of your noble motives —if they are noble. If the truth is that you are inspired by unselfish and social instincts; that you are anxious for the development and welfare of the community as apart from personal ends, then own up and we will generously give you credit for such altruistic motives. It is generally believed, however, Gentleman —pardon our frankness —that you are in these industries for all you can got out of them regardless altogether of the common good. Is that so? ion see there is some misapprehension, some misunderstanding somewhere. It would be just as well for you to try to clear the matter up, wouldn’t it? If it so turns out that you find you have made a complete mess of the industries you are credited with controlling and managing and that you really can no longer make a living for yourselves out of them, what do you say to the suggestion of clearing out altogether and allowing the workers to take the helm. Think it over and give us a reply as soon as you can. Sincerely yours—ALLOFUS. DOG AND WOODCUTTER Out in the bush recently a man named Herman Bock, fractured his leg while working. He was alone except for a small cattle dog which had “made friends’’ with him and often accompanied him to work. After the accident to his leg, Bock attempted to crawl back for assistance a distance of two miles, the dog keeping closely by | his side. Unable to get further than about half a mile the injured man fell back exhausted. The dog then ran on. His appearance at the boarding house where Bock was staying, at that hour and alone, aroused suspicions and Bock’s mate immediately set off with the dog to investigate. The injured man was found and was at first thought to be in a very serious condition as his face was covered with blood. This, however, was found to be due to leeches that had crawled oil to the man while he was prostrate. After giving what assistance he could Bock’s mate put his patient in a cart, but the dogrefused to run beside the vehicle and -vas not quiet until he was given a dace beside his injured friend.