CADDIES STRIKE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22584, 24 November 1936, Page 8

CADDIES STRIKE

HIGHER PAY WANTED miramar club problem GOLFERS HOOTED AT GATES [by TELEGRAPH —FRESS ASSOCIATION"] WELLINGTON, Monday A demand for higher pay has been received by the secretary of the Miramar Golf Club from a group of from 40 /to 50 youthful caddies, who announced their intention of going on strike until they were paid 2s a round instead of the present fee of Is 9d. Members of the club were met at the gates at the week-end by a chorus of hoots and jeers from boys who had been ordered off the link« by the club secretary, after their demand had been rejected. The committee of the club will consider the position, but meanwhile the lock-out continues. An official said that lads who took such a drastic step would probably find their occupation gone, and they would not be allowed on the links again. Only Minimum Payment At normal times between 40 and 50 boys are available to club members as caddies, the number varying on the probable extent of the call for services. The majority of the lads live in Miramar or Kilbirnie. In the past it has been the practice to enrol youths as caddies who are properly accredited with letters from their parents, and who are keen boys of good address. A register is kept and there is a certain amount of control over their comings and goings. Most of the boys are young, from senior primary school age upward, but a few are youths from 17 to IS years of age. Although the club committee fixes the rate for caddy ing. most players make a practice of regaiding this as a minimum, and add to it by ''tipping" boys who give good services. " Just Not Working" Until they were dispersed, some of the vounger boys formed a group at the entrance to the links yesterday morning and repeated Saturday morning s bravado by hooting and jeering at golfers as they arrived. Most of the golfers took the situation in good part, but steps were taken to put an end to the demonstration. Most of the boys later became tired of waiting and disappeared. At the end of the afternoon, only one, a senior boy, was to be seen. He was an em-barrassed-looking youth. "You see," he said when interviewed, "it's like this, we don't reckon the money we get is worth it, so we thought we would not caddy until we get more. We are not striking, we are just not working."