THOSE WHO REALLY LABOUR.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1928, Page 6

THOSE WHO REALLY LABOUR.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —As the elections are beginning to appear in the distance once more, you will perhaps permit me to make a few remarks on that subject. A long while ago I was a Liberal, and I remember Mr. Seddon being returned practically without any opposition. There was no Labour Party then. Mr. Massey stole first one plank and then another from the Liberals to create his co called Reform Party. Eventually the whole Liberal concern sank, leaving only one stalwart to carry the flag, Sir Joseph Ward —long life to him! The others ratted and called themselves Nationalists, Labourites, etc. As for myself I had to go somewhere, so I joined Coates’ crowd. Once I would have called them the Conservatives, but the name would now be a misnomer just as much as Reform is. They are just the old Liberal Party, but they don’t seem to be proud of the name, and doubtless would disown it. However, let them call themselves what they like. So long as they represent the people, they will do me. The only other Party left is the Labour Party. An absurd title for them to pinch. Who are the Labourites? Are they the men who labour I I was on the Wellington wharf some time ago and conversed with the wharfinger. I saw and timed some amazing things. For example, I saw two men take five minutes to give a sack of potatoes half a roll. I saw some men strolling about with their hands clasped behind their backs and a pensive look on their faces. The wharfinger told me they all got 2s 4d an hour. They certainly never earned 4d. The farmer has to find the 2s. I understand that it takes five men to load a sling of meat or cheese, and that four men would be ample to load it. The butchers at the freezing works have played so many. pranks that they have nearly succeeded in putting the meat companies out of action. Only the strongest company could survive. All this represents Labour fradulently using a name they are not entitled to. Away with the Arbitration Court! Let’s fight the unions in the open.

Let me tell them what Labour is. A farmer gets’up at daybreak, and an hour before in the milking season, and he and his family work till dark, 16 hours in the summer, IP hours in the. winter, and the returns he gets at the end of the year would average, say, 3d an hour. It’s certainly a glorious life of freedom! Everybody touches their hat to him, as he makes S 3 per cent of the money, and everybody touches his pocket for all they can get out of him. I see nothing left for us to do but to back up Coates and Co., for all w~ are worth. They fairly represent the genuine workers who keep the country floating. They do their best to resist unreasonable demands on the public purse, and are trying to persuade the sillv townies that it is no use building concrete shops unless the farmers are financially able to buy their goods. The tail has been wagging the dog, and although there is plenty of money available for building in the towns there is little or none for the farmers, who so badly want money to manure their land and increase their returns, and so bring back the prosperity of the country.—l am, etc., OLD SETTLER. Stratford, June 9.