STOCKTON NOTES

Grey River Argus, 18 November 1931, Page 7

STOCKTON NOTES

(Our Own Correspondent.) There was no work at the mine all last week and the buzzer blew On Saturday, intimating no work on Monday. It is rumoured that operations at the mine will not be resumed until Thursday. A general meeitng of |the Uniou was held in the Stockton Hall o n Friday at 10 30 a.m., Mr J. Mcßride presiding. An important circular from the National Secretary was dealt with. It was decided to send a representative to the L.R.C. meeting in Westport. Committees will be formed in Stock ton and Ngakawau to look after the interests of the Labour candidate, Mr H. E Holland, M.P. Although the general meeting had been advertised in time to give most of the members ample warning, the attendance was poor. We are told, at last, that the elections will be held on December 2nd. According to the latest reports, Mr Young is not contesting the Buller seai.t after all. There is also current (talk of Mr Galbraith coming out in the interests of the Communist Party to contest the Buller electorate.

There has been quite an epidemic of influenza at Stockton during the past week, and had the mine been working, many would have been unable to have worked. It is very noticeable on these hills, that with jthe first spell of dry weather, a number of trying complaints become prevalent. At our neighbouring mine, Millerton, approximately 40 notices have been issued. There is very little difference, these days, if you are a mine worker, whether you are working or not. Things seem to have come to such a pass that none can pay their debts from the scant wages received. According to the law of the country, a female with £4700 invested a|t 5 per cent pays no unemployment tax. A person must have less than £240 by way of interest. But a rope road boy in a mine, with anything from 20/per week to £2 per week, must pay his share of (taxation, and yet we are told that the tax is an equitable burden, for all. As far as the people who are receiving interest on debentures are concerned, they are getting the benefit of any drop, prices, as [their interest is not being reduced, and will buy a larger amount of commodities. Never in the whole world’s history has the economic position been so relentless. John A. Hobson once wrote that “Ithe most important lesso n is the fact that a knot of financiers and profiteers per medium of their politicians and their pressmen, can capture the mind of a nation, and in the name of patriotism impose a policy of slavery.” In many senses we got the Government we deserve. If Forbes. Coates, and Goodfellow get their way, things will be done by giving the workers the best or worst “clean up” they have ever had. Quite a lot of gush we see in the press nowadays comes from people who are supposed to be authorities on economics, political economy, etc., but ar e in reality mulish in their ideas. They ought to be harnessed to bath chair s and fed o n carrots