PAY FOR SHEARERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22805, 12 August 1937, Page 15

PAY FOR SHEARERS

Sir, —Mr. Cook, general seretary of. the New Zealand Workers' Union, in a statement reported in Monday's Herald speaks of unfair criticism by the Feilding branch of tlio Farmer's Union, but what about Mr. Cook's own statement, which is quite capable of being productive of bad feeling also? Had Mr. Cook been fair and businesslike instead of stating that the shearers share of payment on a 10s 6d fleece was 4d, leaving the farmer a balance of 105.2 d, he would have gone further and stated that out of that 10s 2d the farmer had to pay musterers, tar boys, fleece pickers, wool classers, carriage, salesmen and before shearing was reached, shepherds and fences. All these folk have to bo fed and then the farmer has his family to provide for, rates and taxes to meet and probably a mortgage tc cope with, leaving what? As a worker I wish to say that the present system of government is no man's friend (or woman's). Costs are steadily rising, the happy give and take spirit between worker and employer is being embittered by rigid union control, which does not consider the human factor. Individual enterprise is threatened by a future Government control of industries and before long New Zealanders will wake up to find themselves firmly emmeshed in the octopus grip of Socialism. A.L.