CO-OPERATIVE WORKERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 173, 1 November 1910, Page 3

CO-OPERATIVE WORKERS.

To the Editor. Sir, —In your issue of the 25ti» " ?t. there appeared an article headed, Awful for Words,"' and in this article the Rev. G. C. Cruickshank criticises the lives of men working for the co-opera-tive works. Pip.cynically observes that the lives of th6se men are too degraded for words, and that these same men are the scum of creation. Weil, if these men are the scum, creation is beautiful beyond the dreams of any philosopher. His statement that the men earn IDs or 15s a day easily, is equally untrue, li he came here and tried, he would not make true shilling an hour, which is tht wage most of the men get, and have to "go" to get that. He also facetiously

remarks that they live in 10x12 tents and that it rains 364 1 /. days in the year. This is true as far as the tents go, but there is not a healthier life under the sun. About the rain, I know that the heroic attempt to be humorous deserves praise; but it is only an attempt, and might make a schoolboy laugh, but never a sane man. He says that the men have nothing to do in their long leisure hours but twiddle their thumbs and read the advertisements on jam tin labels backwards, which is another attempt to be humorous. 1 have never had the dubious pleasure of reading jam tin labels backwards. No doubt it is a very amusing pastime, but I am afraid if I were caught at it I would be medically examined without delay. He also implores his hearers not to give their scapegoats money in the form of remittances of £IOOO. Surely this has noth-j ing to do with the workmen in the backblocks, because, with all his faults, the man who .possessed £IOOO would not be fool enough to work for one shilling an hour, paving the way for people with no backbone and who, if possessing that desirable part of the human body, are too tired and lazy to use it. These men are workers and producers, and lead foi the most part clean, open, honest lives, and toil for their country and their fellow men. Can the rev. gentleman stand up and say he is a producer? And can he say that he leads a more honest and moral life? I thank you, Sir, in advance, and hope you will publish these | few remarks and thereby clear the stain from off these men.—l am, etc.,

W. C. LIMES. Pohokura, Oct. 29.