FARM LABORERS FOILED

NZ Truth, Issue 473, 11 July 1914, Page 6

FARM LABORERS FOILED

Cockies Reject Conciliation Court And Refuse to Discuss Conditions with Workers' Reps. Secretary Laracy Interviewed. "Well canned m Blenheim — cockies adamant — home to-night. — iLaracy." "Cockies' reps, said, "Won't discuss' — nothing' to say— will do .nothing.— Laracy." Such was the text of two wires received last week by "Truth" from friend Laracy, Secretary of the Shearers' Union. Practically these messages a synopsis of the farcical conciliation proceedings between^ the Marlborough Farm Laborers and the employers, held at Blenheuri, at which Mick attended m the Interests of the men. ' The serfs of cockiedom have long sought a remedy for existing industrial grievances, and Marlborough and Canterbury contain aching voids LEFT BY MANY WEARY" ORGANISERS m this field. The Liberal Govern-, ment did but little for "the man with the hoe," and the , Arbitration Court typed reams of evidence m 1907, but flatly refused to make an award. The scales- of justice' were; weighted too heavily with . unearned increment and the mortgage-dodging "cockies" succeeded m staving off the just demands of those who homeward plod their weary ways m the gloamin*. During the recent strike, the profession of faith, spread broadcast by the farmers m general, by their official mouthpiece, the Farmers' Union, that through the Act, and nothing but the Act, would be their "modus operand!" for the settlement -of all disputes, made ..the erstwhile tractable, clod-hopping, hay-seeded Hodge decidedly opine that th<a time had arrived when .he should have a union and an award. ' UNIONS WERE FORMED at Wellington, Marlborough, Hamilton, and Otago. Organisers were appointed, and Mick Laracy, backed ' up ( by the shearing boys^ became their 'sponsor, and practically the whole credit or organising these new unions is due to his Union and personal initiative. Blenheim was the first port of call on the circuit of these conciliation proceedings, which form a record for brevity m the history of the Court. Interviewed .by . "Truth," Secretary Laracy stated, on his return, that the whole show was an absolute farce. The farm laborers had been put to considerable cost m the preparation of the case and the citation of parties. The country had been mulcted m travelling expenses- for tne Commissioner, while Secretary Mick, himself, and his colleague, Tow nsend, had wasted considerable time, and . money, all for .the purpose Of being told that the farmers would SAY NOTHING, DO NOTHING, AND | HEAR NOTHING. They simply refused to discuss the matter. . \ Here is the text pf their ultimatum, which requires no comment:— •\ iWo.are not prepared to discuss' the demands of the Union at all. The Court of Arbitration has al- . ready'; dealt with; the question of farm labor, exhaustively m Canterbury, and deoUned to make an award, It has also m a large number of other awards specially ex- . empted farmers and their employees from the operation of awards. The Court having, therefore, established a precedent which it has followed on many occasions, we refuse to discuss the matter at all, and it must be referred direct to - the Court "I have had a good deal o* experience," said the modest Mick, "with the Conciliation Council and the Arbitration [ Court, but never have I mot with SUCH BRAZEN INCONSISTENCY as in' this case. Hero is a wealthy body of employers, who, through their chief exponent, Bill Massey, run the country. These men took a leading part m forcing the Watersiders into the deadly embrace of the tentacles of the great shipping octopus. .When questioned on their attitude, they persistently and repeatedly, trom platform, through press and m Parliament, affirmed their faith m the system of Arbitration, and, ar an earnest, formed new unions m all the leading ports of New Zealand. . They are continually prating about the need of cooperation m their own ranks to beat the shipping companies, land have pleaded, day In and day out, for one big union of farmers to protect vested Interests. Yet, when a union is formed within the palo of 'the ioranorder' Act, an immediate 'volte-face' is executed. However, my mind is made up. The shearers are determined to push this matter 'to tho bitter end, even ehould it coat tho last copper m the treasury. The form laborers are as much entitled to consideration under the legislation of this country as any other body of workers. "A great deal can bo done towards the attainment of this end by cooperation on tho part of other unions." continued tho meritorious Mick. "In tho past tho trend seems to have been towards concentration on the workers In t YIA tpwns, 'ORGANISING THB OUGANJSED,' whilo thousands of men m tho back r blocks have never heard tho gospel of Trades-unionism. In fact, even at tho present day, there is too much curpotbagglng and soap-box oratory, while tho solid spado workr-gottlng the men into unlonß of country workers— ls boIng neglected. "However." concluded Mr. Mick Larucy, "tho last word has not been said on tho Blenheim case. It has been passed on to tho Arbitration Court, where I Intend to show tho public, when tho time comes, what the worker on the farm hns to put up with, nnd , to expose the Inconsistencies of these pseudo-Axbltratlonlsta." "Truth's" sympathies go with you, Mick, nnd your men, and you can always roly on it for support. At tho presont Juncture it can only say, with our Maori friend, tight on: AXE! AKBt AKK!