COMPENSATION WANTED

Maoriland Worker, Volume 6, Issue 243, 13 October 1915, Page 2

COMPENSATION WANTED

Far* Strikebreaking Specials OF TWO YEARS AfiO. The- Farmers' L'nion having repudiated' the debt? in connection with the organising of strike-breaking' and union - witTaing specials in lA'l'lN. appeals have been raa'do to Parliament for compensation for horses and saddles either stol-?n or damaged by the said strike-breakers. Some' of these applications'were undar discus-| «inn on September 24; and the Social - Demo n': tie members raised stron/j ob- J .tactions to any compensation being paid by I'ariic.ment to meet- the debts incurred by "ho Farmers-' L'nion. Mr. P. C. Webb (member for Grey) commented on the fact that the employers' associations, which ha/1 had, the good fortune, to have the responsibilities of'Covernraent placed' in their ■hands for'-a. Tittle'period''' dunmr the. strike-,' should iippeaT to' the House, now in*'order'"'to get compensation.. 'That was-the price they were paying for allowing irresponsible . bodies to . possess such powers; and it was-known, now that- after two years there' were many such eases cropping up- to be dealt with. Furthermore, the loss these men had sustained through the bnnghny; oi these irresponsible- committees was nothing compared to the j suJiering of many wives and children throughout tho country on account of ] husband? and fathers being ■ forced out of employment and victimised. This matter had been duly considered by the Government, some time n'so,'and tho Government- had iurned the refpiesf- down. He knew that .if victimised men appealed to the House for eompensniion for what had been the outcome of MlO misjaanagemont and bungling of the 'citizens', committee, ih's appeal would receive very short .shrift, li thi? claim was allowed-they would establish a tery troublesome and j costly precedent. A similar claim had been heard by the Hamilton Farmers' i Union, a body of wealthy men, .and after it, had been heard the "claim .had •' been turned down. Like his colleague, . the member for Lytteltpn... he. had\.inI fqrmation .to the., that one-, of j.theso petitions.— and Tie would; ''know I.which one it lie were told the'nature ;of the goods : .u question—was froni'.a--- ---,' wealthy inedicil 'man in Hamilton, 'worth some £-10,000 or i'oO.OOO; and,.' j ft* that wore so, surely it 'was i most' j paltry and petty thing for a wealthy man like that to petition and fraste i the time of the House for compensa- ; tion to the exteni cf £4 or £.0. The • j Premier had investigated the different claim? made by Hamilton people, ami !in each case that came before liis notice ho had seen fit to turn .the pro- | posal down. Tho Premier should say 'to the Farmers-' t'nion and these comI mittees that if they did their duty I ,'they would compensate, these men without allowing the question to be dragged upi on the floor of the House, and he believed had the Commission of Inquiry been set up, which he (Mr. Webb) hdd • appealed for time aft«r time to go into j the whole matter in connection with the strike and the loss of horses, saddlfi's, and. bridles, together with the formation of new "unions" and the victimisation of striker. 3, honourable meats??, would now be in a better position to;:judge whether the Government was entitled to pay compensation or hot