UNDERRATE WORKERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14144, 20 August 1909, Page 8

UNDERRATE WORKERS.

Sir, —It seems to mo that the firm of boot* -makers which was cited and fined recently, 'ty 1 in the Magistrate's Court for employing a man at less than the minimum rate of wages 8| "piv«s a very good justification, morally, for jj its*action in the letter published ins your * columns. Referring to Mr. Gibson's letter, it must be obvious that accumulated labour ,'^ts —capital— in a better position to choose its market than is labour without that accumulation. I quite agree that development 'SxA of the land is the source of all prosperity, \ ' r and I trust that the citizens of this Do« minion will eventually compel the opening* , : \j up to settlement; of the millions of acres or-' * r , Jland crying 'out for tillage that are now f • wickedly unproductive. When _ a Govern-ment-that lias for yearn been inviting ana .. encouraging workers to come here . has :t»||||g look on at the weekly emigration of unsatisfled labour that Mr. Gibson so triumphant!/ , - . ;JB V;"; ; -;v 'v "A;

mbes as a proof that the workman has the ' world as his market, and that tho ocean is '' ;,! ;*rio obstacle to his ambition, it seems time "■ V for us as Now Zealnuders to consider whether wo have treated prospective inves-:'-.v ;i tors with duo consideration. Is it not pos- '■ sibio that in the proud possession of a land . * only bounded in its future by its smallness tad remoteness from the markets of the 1 world wo have at least postponed its dc- '■'" ■ velopment by insisting on tho omnipotence oi labour? I quote Mr. Gibson's own words: "It is only by coming to a mutual understanding that capital and labour can work '■;; harmoniously together." Mr. Gibson assumes that the employer is anxious to "starve ■'* labour into accepting low wages," and his 'attitude, resulting from such an assumption, is necessarily antagonistic. Is this attitude likely to bring about that harmony your correspondent, desires? and does the letter of ,~'.V,the employers referred to above, tend to provo tho truth of his theory! AiorEEKS.

'."Sir,—-"Re Mr. AY. 11. Murray's explanation v.%{ his position in regard to his recent conviction tor a breach of the bootmakers' "award, it. would perhaps lie as well to hear the other side of the case. Mr. Murray's statement that lie requested tho man to ;apply to tho union for an undor-rato porker's permit is equal to a lawyer pleading ignorance of the law, Mr. Murray know that tho union has no power to /issue "r refuse an undcr-rate worker's j>er.init. Such permits are only granted by a 'committ of four—two from tJu» Employers' Federation and two from the union— and in no ease has any genuine application boon refused. Mr. Murray is better in'formed regarding tho laws than most men. The union official mentioned by Mr. Mur- • ray did not ask tho union to grant a permit to allow tho man to work at less than the minimum wage. Ho did what ho told Sir. Murray ho would have to do. that was to report him for not paying the minimum wage. When tho facts of the? case became known to the union undoubtedly a howl of indignation went up. It was ascertained from tho work the man was doimg that he could give- somo of the younger _ ones a start, and instead of receiving a trifle over half the minimum wage ho should have been receiving considerably over the minimum wage. If Mr. Murray wants to know how to arrive at the value of a man's labour, I would advise him to do as otlu"}"employers do. viz., to pay tho minimum ■wage, and if the man is not capable of earning it. apply for an undcr-rate worker's permit "in the proper manner. W. J. Bartox. 5 Sec. Auckland Branch X.Z. "Federated >"• Boot- Trade Union. A'" Sir, —From time to time we see letters and paragraphs in the Herald on tho above sub- • ject, and vigorous comments on the arrogance and oppression of tho unionists in refusing the poor petitioner leave to toil, and how even- feeling of humanity is outraged. To the slow, the feeble, or tho aged they ordain, "Thou shalt not work except by our fiat." Such intolerance will bring its own revenge. < Diilv give the unions rope and they will hang themselves, for they are already erecting tho scaffold. Wo old "gray-beards ought, therefore, to look out for a true Labour representative (not. a unionist one) to -introduce a clause in tho coming Labour legislation that after 50 years of ape every man shall 'bo master of his own right, hand, and grant- ' ed the liberty as well as the right to make all his own labour bargains, employers also to be free to deal with them. Insurance companies already look upon jubilee men as nnder-rato securities in tho compensation market, so we merely want an extension of the principle, and our young unionist bosses ■will soon "need the samo city of refuge. I wonder if thero is one member in the House ■who will say one word to strike the shackles 'off the wrists of those who have passed 50 years of age? May we sing v. " The yEAR or Jubilee Has Come?