ATTACK ON THE GOVERNMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3348, 15 May 1918, Page 37

ATTACK ON THE GOVERNMENT.

THE COST OF LIVING. TIMARU. May 13. Tho Timaru branch of tho Railway Servant,-.?' Society unanimously resolved —"That the Timaru branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants call upon Mr Massey to do his duty and protect the workers from further exploitation at the hands of monopolists; that, in view of what tho National Government has done, Mr Massey's statement wherein he is declared to have said ' there are many things which we have not done that will be done,' and, further, ' I am strongly of opinion that we must do our duty,' is so much hot air, considering that the'words emanated from tho head of the National Government, who failed in every instance to do their duty to tho workers of the dominion, notwithstanding the waste of public money in setting up commissions which failed to attain their object, because their recommendations were ignored by tho Government. We demand that tho Prime Minister shall initiate in a practical manner the theory he so ably advocated in the same speech calling upon .the people of_ tho dominion to make greater sacrifices during the present crisis. We hereby call upon the Government to deal with the cost of living problem before asking the woikers to make greater sacrifices. It is most deplorable that the members of the Government should make such a call upon the workers whilst a responsible Minister like Sir Joseph Ward is endeavouring to bleed the Imperial Government by asking it to pay cash for frozen mutton lying in tho New Zealand refrigerating chambers, which would only benefit the big man. This constitutes a scandal, emanating from a Minister who calls himself a patriot, when the same Minister absolutely refuses justice_ to the wives of tho Second Division. It is about time Sir Joseph Ward out as much energy into finding ways and means 'of paying the Second Division members' wives a living wage as in getting from tho Home Government four million sterling- for the benefit of a few."