FARM LABOURERS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13680, 24 August 1908, Page 2

FARM LABOURERS.

TIMARU OPINIONS.

A farmer in town on Saturday when told the decision of . the Arbitration Court, on the farm labourers' dispute (he had not had time to see a newspaper), expressed his opinion of it in a. hearty " Hurrah." A number of fanners were spoken t« about the decision by a "Herald" reporter, and they -were all content, rather than pleaded with the result, as they had expected nothing eke. "How," said one of the leading mmds among them, "how could the Court' do anything else, than put the thing aside, when the Conciliation Board, who had spent months in listening to evidence, could not agree upon anything? It was impossible for them to agree to anything, reasonably, there are eo many varying conditions to be provided for. Really the men have the whole Held of farm labour in their own hands now, for if a man does not like a, job he flings it up and | soon gets another. I have had no dif- j [ ficulty in keeping men for five, sis, seven and eight years, and most of them have left to marry and to take up land themselves. The whole thing was engineered by a few agitators in Christchurch." A sheep fanner in a large way, who had looked at the station award, said it did not affect him, for he had always paid as much or more than the award rates, and complied with the other requirements. As to youths learning mustering that was useless, as boys were not put on that sort of .work. A fanner in a large way of .business said it was satisfactory that the Court had taken the line it did. It-would have been a great shame if the industry that produced 80. per cent, of the wealth, of the country had been put under hampering restrictions at the demand of a handful of town people who knew nothing about the real conditions and neeessitiLS of farm life. He said 80 per cent., because it was not the fanners of Canterbury only that were concerned. If an award had been made in Canterbury> the chief agricultural province for mixed farming, it would have to be copied elsewhere. The whole of the farmers of the Dominion therefore were indebted to Messrs Jonas, Ac-land arid Evans, for the eplendid way they had fought for them, in presenting their case to the Conciliation Board and to the Court. The proceedings had cost a lot of money, but they ought to. have one- good effect, in bringing the farmers together. He was, however, sorry to say that he> did not see much sign of that yet. As to the cost, he remarked, it would be necessary to call the South Canterbury Committee together soon, to see about squaring up. Another well known farmer discussed the 'alleged " dispute " as a political move of the socialist party in Christchurch. If they could get the country workmen organised as a union, they could use the union as a. political as well as an individual organisation, and might hope, to run successfully Socialist candidates in at least some country constituencies. For this purpose their most important demand was for " preference," which would compel every farm hand to become a unionist. With regard to wagers and the net, the Court- did well to leave well alone. There was such a dearth of suitable labour, that if a farmer, did not offer good wages and provide good conditions he could not keep his men. The men were therefore masters of the situation. In the country was to be found a great proportion of nondescript labour; men who could not get work in towns; men who were :foo old for the ranks of general labour in towns; men who could not bs provided .for by any award of wages applicable to young and capable men. These nondescripts must then get permits; and perhaps would not be able to get them, and if they did, the number would be so large as to make the award rate farcical. To have conceded the demands a* a- whole would have upset, the whole social condition of the country, and there was no real grievance, no complaint, unti!l a'-"few GJifist,ehui - ch men manufactured one": . .' .. a -■■'-.-.

MEETING IN TEMUKA.

Word was received in Temuka on Saturday evening that Mr James Thorn, secretary of the Farm Labourers Union, would address the members of the Temuka, branch. It is understood that his address ivill be a. criticism of the Arbitration's Court's refusal to make an award in regard to the farm labourers of the province. The feeling is very keen among the farm hands in .the district, and on •Saturday night it was the one absorbing topic in the streets. Many of them openly declare that they will use.every means to fight the decision even to petitioning Parliament'.

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE UNION. At the annual meeting of the Canterbury Farm Labourers' Union held in Christchurch lately, delegates were present from the) Temuka, Rotherhain, Arshburton, Tinwald, Kirwee, Kcutiibridgu, Springston, Prebbleton, Keftou, Dunsandel and Darfield branches. Apologits werereceived from the Hororata, Rangiora, Waikari, Eakai, Woodend, Tai Ta.pu, and Geraldine branches. Donations to the funds of the Union we're received from the Canterbury .Slaughtermen's Assistants' Union, Nelson Typographical Association, Canterbury Typographical Association, the :Mokihinui, Kunipaka, Blackball, Inangahuu-, Mokau, Waikatoy Homebush ' and State Miners' Unions, and the Auckland Grocers' Assistants' Union. It was resolved that letters of thanks-.shuuld be tent to all these Unions. The Napier Wharf Labourers,' Christchurch Hairdressers', Nelson Painters', and Christchurch fc'add!ers', Unions wrote regarding the same! matter, and it was resolved to thank these Union for their kind wishes. The Trade . Councils' Conference ; wrote forwarding..a constitution for a federation of labour, arid the General Labourers' Unions' Conference sent a- cons titution for a,. federation of New Zealand Labourer's' Unions', These were referred to the executive for a report. The annual report thanked members of the Union for their co-operation during the year. Referring to the dispute before the Conciliation Board and Arbitration Court, .(he report stated that the tactics of the farmers in. prolonging the case by repetition of evidence had put the Union to such considerable expense that it had been considered necessary to make an appeal for assistance to. the Unions throughout tko Dominion. The support of the appeal by the Unions had been higldy gratifying, over £260 having been subscribed up to July 31. The cost of typing the .evidence, which had been ordered by the Arbitration Court, Lad been also very- considerable. -. Accounts for £175 had been paid, and there were liabilities- of about £l2O. That, such an obligation should have been placed on a. Union at. its tiisl attempt to secure justice seemed designed to haras's the Union in the presentation of its case. There had been difficulty in fighting the case owing to the fact that the mustering, shearing, harvesting and threshing seasons were proceeding during the period covered by the hearing, but the case had been very ably put before the Board and. Court, and should bear fruit in a' good award. During the year the strength of the Union had been increased by 551 new member's, bringing in a revenue of £137 ■, 15s. The annual .returns.. to the Labour Department showed the Union's strength to. be. 1468 and since then about r 200 new members had 2'orned. . The thanks of the Union were' due to a number of subscriber to the funds of • the- Union, who desired to( remain anonymous. - Several of them were fanners, who heartily-sym-pathised with the. efforts of the Union. The Farm Labourers' Accommodation Bill had been paseed into law after some modification had been made in deference to

the agitation of the Union,- but nothing had been done with it. It was merely a dead letter on the Statute Book. ins Executive recommended that further protests should be made until the law of the land was administered. To meet the agitation of the Farmers' Union for the limitation of the operation of the Arbitration Act to the towns, the Union had appealed to every Union in the Dominion to for- j ward protests to local members of Parliament and to the Minister of Labour. The Minister had stated that the Government absolutely refused to give any sympathy to the fanners' agitation. The Executive congratulated Mr. J- A. McGullough on his election and appointment to the Arbitration Court, and expressed lis thanks for the self-sacrificing work done by him on behalf of the farm labourers of Canterbury. The Executive desired to draw attention to the Arbitration Act Amendment Bill and the Shearers Accommodation Act Amendment Bill, and to ask all members to stand by the Union and to make it the strongest institution for good in the land. The report was adopted. The annual balance-sheet showed reqoipjts' £695 15a lOd, and expenditure. £472 7e 3i, leaving a credit balance of £181.6s 6|d; against the balance there was approximate liabilities of £l7O. The balance-sheet was adopted. The flection of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mr. W. T. Hales; Vice-president, Mr. D. G. Sullivan; secretary, Mr. James Thorn; trustees, Messrs. C. Kennedy and L. E. Wilson; ■auditefs, Messrs E. Howard, and A. Amor. A committeewas elected from the branches. -

It was resolved that the Executive Ejhould take into consideration the institution of a newspaper, and several donations were made. The following resolution was carried: "That the Government be urged to administer the Farm Labourers- Accommodation Act, and that a copy of this resolution be sent to all Unions throughout the Dominion, asking them to forward a copy to local members of Parliament and to the Minister of Labour." It -was decided that the Government should be Tirgedi to amend the Arbitration Act so as to make it Operate over married couples and domestic servants. Accounts for £IOO 19s wero passed for payment, and. twenty new members .were elected.