Truth WORSING THE WORKER

NZ Truth, Issue 834, 12 November 1921, Page 4

Truth

WORSING THE WORKER

LUKE'S L.ANE.

NEW ZEALAND

WELLINGTON.

HEAD OFFICE;

BRANCH OFFICES — AUCKLAND: s Custom-street East. CHRISTCHURCH: 102 Gloucester-street. DUNEDIN: No.' 6 Roberts's Building. Stuart-atreat SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1921.

f ARMERS' ONION AND WAGE AGREEMENTS

The Farmers' Union had a smokeoh at Morrinsville t'other night, and after several toasts had been "duly honored," the tongues of the members began to wag. It was soon evident that more than one member present •had a guitl- gift o' the gab, and several rousing speeches were made on questions of the hour. At first these wea-e very sane and wonderfully moderate m tone* but as the night wore on and the '-temperature" of the hall began to take effect, the speeches shower; a rise m sympathy until several of j what would be termed by the man- i in-the-street as "hot stuff," were reel- j eel Off. The speakers were chiefly the j members of the Auckland executive > and, as such, their utterances are sj-orth analysing as pointing the way these men are seeking to- lead their followers. We hear much of extremists these times, but. such are mainly spoken of as being leaders of the Labor movement, engaged chiefly m seeking to wreck", the Emprre. But there are extremest and extremist, just as there eggs and eggs. One of ( the other kind is a Mr. Frank Colbeck, or to give him his "milingtary title, "Capting" Colbeck. Frank, it falls to be recorded, was one of the frankest speakers at the shivoo m question, and several things he said and "reforms" he advocated as absolutely imperative for the farmers' future well-being, are worth the proletarian plug's while talcing notice otr Firstly, the cost of production must be red-uced. He went on: Legislation is not neeessai-y to stabilise wages- There are circumstances which warrant the breaking of agreements. The time has come when the workers should be asked the question: "Take your choice; take less wages or give up your job." That paragraph reveals what type of man this "capting" is. It shows the spirit of military- compulsion being applied on the industrial field. That is the only way, he says. Let every employer have the right to bargain with the employees direct; . let the Government .terminate all Arbitration Court sitting's and abolish all existing Arbitration Court awards and every preference to unionists clause. The cost of production must be reduced, and that is the only way to reduce it, says this military farming manHis power of discrimination is excessively acute. So acute, indeed, that he can see that awards are not agreements; They are awards, certainly, but we farmers never agreed to them and, consequently, I see no breach of faith m doing as I suggest must be done m order to avoid the only alternative — the utter destruction of New Zealand, poverty and famine. Which, somehow, seems a rather mixed alternative, for how the "destruction" of "poverty and famine" would bring with it- tho "destruction of New Zealand," is a little difficult to comprehend. {

Capting Colbeck went on to propose a scheme for a farmers' shipping control per medium of the Government's assistance with a promise to provide the necessary cash for the purchase of a commercial shipping fleet. That, part of the Colbeck speech was a perfect scream.and more than one of the more intelligent among his hearers became suddenly deeply interested m their boots m order to conceal their' incredulous smiles. The idea was to enable the farmer to be entii'ely independent of the rest of the world. He did not mention m passing that the rest of us would be permitted to live as consumers. These ideas were snpported by several able tub-thumpers, Mr. Duxfield, president of the , Auckland Provincial Executive, N.Z.F.U., and Others closing their exhortations with an appeal to those present to support the candidates of the new party, the country and farmers' party", at next election. Had things stopped at this point all might have been well and we might have gone away feeling that the farmers had been grievously wronged and exploited m the past, and were justified m banding together to protect themselves- But Mr. Sinclair, assistant manager of the N.Z. Co-op. Dairy Co., Ltd., turned on the talk and told of a little deal completed twelve months ago which, ho claimed, owing to the solid position of his company, had brought to the farmers three and a-half millions of monov which Had otherwise been lost to them. t: :: :: Briefly, the "little deal" was as follows: , The Imperial Government was approached"' to continue its purchase of the exportable surplus of Australian and New Zealand butter, and as the Empire's needs were urgent for Home use, it agreed and- offered to pay 2s 2d per po triad for the whole' of Australia's and New ■ Zealand's output -for twelve months. •lMils wii* considered, hy-tho whnlo of Australia's produce's to bo a tvood and profitable price, and was nc-coptod. Fivo-sixlhs of the New Zoahiiul producers were also satisfied and ready to accept, but not so Iho New Zealand Dairy Co. That company hung out, and as a test sent a consignment of butter to America for which they got 2s 4d, • and with this as a lever got the Imperial Government to .increase its offer to 2s (id. The Home an-

thorities without any demand, acted beautifully towards Australia, and notified the Australian prod-ucers that notwithstanding their acceptance of 2s 2d, to increase production they would pay 2s 5%d. This offer showed their need.

Now, conditions were blacker twelve months ago than they are to-day, and 2s 2d per pound was, without doubt, a good price then. Since the cost of production has decreased, what sort of profiteering was it to bleed the Home consumers for that extra fourpence per pound- ? How loyal it all was, and what an example to the abominably unpatriotic Labor extremists who dare allow Liaboi-s grievances to be arbitrated aipon! Gee, it' assistant- manager Sinclair, "Capting" Colbeck and one or two of their cobbers could be induced to address meetings of workers m the cities, the latter would soon wake up to the fact that a minority of the population of this little Dominion, namely the 200,000 speculators of all shades who masquerade as farmers, are seeking to utilise the governing ■ power of the land to serve their own selfish ends.