AS OTHERS SEE US.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 11 January 1929, Page 8

AS OTHERS SEE US.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT. 3

COUNCILLOR J. CHRISTIE’S IMPRESSIONS.

LONDON, Nov. 27

Ex-Oouncillor John Christie, of Kirkcaldy, Who ha® recently .visited New Zealand, gives some of his impressions to the Fife-shire Advertiser. H© tells of his visit to the emigration officer to protest against advertising! in Great Britain for emigrants. “In -a. very courteous manner,” he says', j "the'official pointed out that, _ while there was a surplus of labour in the cities, there was a dearth of labour in the country, the reason being that if a man went to the country to work he received in return his board and keep and 25s to 30s oar week. If he were successful in finding employment in the city as an average labourer, his re~ ; muneration. according to the labour awards, must be £4 4s at the very least. Hence the reason for so many people in the cities. He further pointed out that these _ posters were displayed to the public of Great Britain in 1925, and any which might still remain were those which were posted, in that year .when there was a boom in the country. In actuality these posters were a thing of the past; they were not advertising for British labour. “The real demand for labour in New Zealand is not to be found in the cities, but the demand is for agricultural labourers and faim .workers. Quite a fair percentage of British; settlers were found to have made good 1 on these farms, but moist of the Scottish successful emigrants I found! to be either bakers or railway employees, whowere earning far in excess of what they would he having in this country. With very few exceptions, every one of them owned his own house, although the reason for that is easily explained! by the fact that it is easier to build a house than it is to rent one. “Nearly every settler, of course, is up against hard times until lie- can accustom himself to the country, bub with dogged determination and real Scottish grit they can soon overcome that difficulty and succeed in thear venture. I found many aptly illustrative examples of this.” BAD EFFECTS OF TRADE UNIONISM.

Councillor Christie gives examples of his countrymen’s success-. He explains what citv cquncilis are doing for unemployment, and describes the advantages and difficulties of work in the country districts. “The number of hours worked by the average man in the city,” he continues, is no longer than are worked 1 in this country; an eight-hour day, commencing at 8 o’clock in the morning being about the usual length of time worked. Longer hours are, of course, worked in different places, but so rigid are tlie restrictions' of the various trade unions that tli© men are not allowed to work for a longer period than eight hours. The- trade unions pMay a very strong but deteriorating part in. the ruling of the men. and, indeed, my opinion is that- thc-v will yet prove the ruination of the- country. A man may work at three different jobs l after completing hi, 3 usual day’s work, but to do so he has necessarily to he a -member of each separate union. NOT A BED OF ROSES. Summing up, he- says : “It will be- realised that the country, so far as the emigrant and prospective worker is concerned, is not altogether a bed of roses. The young single man, willing enough to Tough it’ for a time, and- not expectant of the cosy, comfortable conditions prevailing at Home, - wil.l most assuredly make good', granted, of course, that lie can display that real Scottish grit and determination, but, personally, I would; not advise a married man with -a, family to make suoh a venture unless he the oromi-se of good employment awaiting him there. Neither would I advisethe unemployed' married man to take sudhi a step, for once there lie will lose any unemployment relief whidlil lie may previously have been benefiting from. EVen should he succeed! in securing employment on the farms, he would find it next to- impossible to keep himself, a, wife and (family on 30s per week.”