THE SHEARERS' UNION.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 7888, 31 May 1893, Page 1

THE SHEARERS' UNION.

'IO THU UDITOK. Siu,-— I am a fully piid-up member of M10 O.imiiru Brnuch o( tho Shearers' and Laborers' Union, and being so I would liko to ask the secretary (Mr George Lusiio) what iho Oamaru Branch of the Union proposes to advance mo in return for tho four yoarly subscriptions I have paid into tho Brunch. It is a well known fact that Mr Loslio knows nothing whatever about tho occupation I follow, and theieforo his ignorance on many cIospos of labor that tho members follow is to bu regretted, nnd would, I hivo no doubr, be oxcusfid were Mr Leslio 10 do what comes within hia power for tho advancement of th.oc.uue. This, howevor, he refuses 10 do ; in fact, to me it appears thu ho (Mi Leslie) iu conjunction with tho chairmnn. are doing their bp«l to bring the Union into contempt. In ordor to givo forcu to the above opinion I would point out th it I called on Me Lrslio tho other dny, nnd told him thit a threshing mill owner in this district had taken a contract noiw Waimato, and that hh mon had verbally agreed to work for him at a shilling h^s per thousand than tint ngpecd on by tho mill owners and tho W.iinmtc Brunch of tho Union. I fully expected Mr Leslie would move iu tho matter. Imagine my astonishment when in lvply to me he said, " Oh, ] c-ui do nothing in tho matter." " What," I said, "ineven sec tho men or wiiic to Wnim >tc about it." Oh, no, Mr LuMie could no — or would not do anything to stop those mon from making blacklegs of themselves. Now, sir, I know that several of Mr Leslie's committoo nro inteliqeutinen, and I am euro would instruct him on tho suljoct wero he (Mr Leslie) to cill them together ; but as Mr Leslio works 15 01 16 hours a day, and the chnirrnin openly avows hia opposition to an eight hours' working day, I cannot pxpeot any more from these gentlemen, seeing that to stop such would be acting in direct opposition to their own principles. Agtin, I ask, What does tho Oamaru branch propose to do for its membors ? I would also liko to know what Mr Leslio does in re 1 urn for the L20 per annum the branch pays him. Trusting aomeouo bettor acquainted with tho union's aims than myself will roply, I am, etc., A DisAiToi.vrm) Mrviinn