FARM HANDS

Grey River Argus, 9 May 1936, Page 4

FARM HANDS

Mr W. J. Polson is one of the most reactionary of the Coates-Forbes supporters. As President of the Farmers’ Union he represents the interests of the biggest ami wealthiest of the farmers, not of the small and struggling cockles. So react.onary is he that even tin. mild measures of encouragement for trade unionism contained in the ?xrb. (ration Amendment Bill appear to Mr. Polson as ••prim- pies wn.cli were ;■ d-revt encouragement to the- growth ot (Sovietism n Aew Zealand”! Double astonishing then was the statement he was japorti'.T as having made at Inglewood on April 19th: ••Without disclosing confidences. . . . he could sav the I’armers' Union had done world "of enormous value tn count ction with farm labour legislation. For one year at least there would be no interference with the hours of work. Wttges would lie on a sliding scale. . . That agreement had been endorsed by (’abim.r. . . He assured them it would be an entirely different scheme to the one originally brought down by the Government. Work of enormous value, indeed! To block the farm hands leg.lunate demand for shorter hours and radically improved wages—to intrigue with the Government in the interests of the wealthy squatters —to persuade them to bring down ‘‘an eutiiel} different. scheme” to the one originally proposed—-Mr. Polson must feel proud of himself! “l'’or one year at least,” il Mr. Poison’s statement is correct, the* farm hands will continue to work the old intolerable hours.