PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 1978, 21 November 1921, Page 3

PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS

REFERENDUM FOR ABOLITION ASKED FOR. The opposition of the Farmers’ Union to preference for unionists was expressed in a resolution brought forward by Mr A. Buchanan, president of the Manawatu sub-provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union, at the meeting of that body on Saturday. The proposal was worded: "Preference to Unionists: That this has proved ruinous to unionists of all classes and is injuring our meat export trade through the extravagant award rates at the freezing works and the cardlesa dressing of the meat there.” He was glad to hear, said the chairman, in speaking to the motion, that sane labour had come .to the conclusion that preference was not beneficial to them, as it only resulted in increasing the cost of living through employers having to pay higher wage rates for half the work done. Mr Aitken suggested it would be better to urge the Government to introduce a referendum on the abolition of preference to unionists. "The Government -would jump _at the chance of submitting it to the' people,” he declared, "if the recommendation comes from some party apart from themselves. I believe a straight-out vote would wipe it out,” he urged. The chairman:, “The Government seems rather afraid to touch it.” Mr O. P. Lynch: “They are afraid.” The chairman: “I don’t think the Government will do anything except under pressure.” Mr Aitken; “I believe we would get pretty good support from a big section of the labour people themselves.” Mr J. A. McLeavey: “The trouble is that most people don’t know anything about it.” Mr Aitken: “They would become educated to it in the course of an election campaign. I don’t think any Government would touch it, but they might submit a referendum to the people on the question.” Mr Gloyn said that if preference to unionists were non-existent the Hawke’s Bay freezing works would be running at the present time. The men would not commence work until they obtained details of the new award from Christchurch. The country had lost thousands through the same sorr of tiring. Our butter, he said, had been ill-used to such an extent by unionists on the Wellington wharves that boxes had actually been broken open. Preference to unionists, he said, was the cause of it. It was decided to send a resolution to the provincial executive for submission to the Government, asking the Government to submit a referendum on the subject of the abolition of preference to unionists to the people at the next general election, providing that it was not already abolished during the present session. It was also decided to send copies of the resolution to the members of Parliament in the sub-provincial district.