MAIN TRUNK MUDDLERS.

NZ Truth, Issue 84, 26 January 1907, Page 4

MAIN TRUNK MUDDLERS.

Another shameful story of villainous tireatnient of a toiler comes to hand from Waitone, near terrible turbulent Taihape. A splendid stamp of a navvy worked 232 hours, all holidays included, and was then fired for !no reason but that he dared to use a free man's freedom of speech m voicing » grievance for his gang. Ten out of the other eleven -of the gang waited upon the party who is lovingly known to the men as Blustering Bully Bill Floyd, the inspector of works, tto ask him why this man had been sacked and to tell him they'd all q.uit if he left ; but the only reply this pleasant-mannered gentleman vouchsafed was a remark to the disI charged man : "Oh, , you are an laffitator." Then he clapped spurs to his horse and galloped away. The ("man had to walk ten miles to the head office 'to get. his pay, but when |he presented his time-note to Danks, the paymaster, he was told that' Engineer Hay was away and Danks could not ss.v~- when he would be back ; while there was no provision to meet his note. /The man was penniless and unable to nay for a meal or a bed, but, though . he had., a good sum comins ,ta him' he could not get an'ada filling, Si r-ulf haying recently been ~ ; made that -no man leaving his gang- can touch a cent till nay day. : Asked when pay day would Danks was unable to soy, so the man had" to borrow enough to pay -his fare to WellingtonHe is still nur^ine; his time-note and patiently «awaitin°: information as to when it may be honored. Such treatment of honest workers by a pack of spiteful officials is a burn'ns; disgrace .to the count'rv a shame on the (Government which tolerates such brutality. Is there, no one man m the Cabinet Tf'bn rvill nrovp his rtemqeratic principles and his boasted "liberalism" by championing: the cause of these ill-used Main Tr,unk toilers ?