FARM LABOURERS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13680, 24 August 1908, Page 6

FARM LABOURERS.

THE COURT CASE. MR D. JONES' VIEWS, Per Press Association.. CHPJSTCHURCH", August 22.. Mr D. .Jones, one of the farmers* ad; vocates dining the hearing' of the farm labourers' dispute, was'seen by a reporter to-day relative to the Arbitration Court's decision in the farm-labourers' dispute. He said it was gratifying to the farmers to find that the Court in its judgment had upheld the -contentions that tile farmers had been fighting for all through, Ha wished to say that hei looked on' the finding as a. victory as much for the farmworkers as for the farmers. He had recognised throughout, the case that it was in the interests o£ all parties to allow things to continue as at present. . Mr Thorn said that the judges finding was simply a rehash of his (Mr Jones) address but he regarded that as a high compliment to himself. It proved at any rate that the line of argument he had taken up had appealed to the good sense of the Court ,which had practically given a finding on the lines of his address. He believed that the. bulk of the farmworkers were as pleased with the judgment as the. farmers, and he had heaTd instances last evening in the district where the workers when the news got abroad had got on their bicycles and joined their mates to rejoice that they still had their freedom. The finding of the Court was especially gratifying to the farming community because it proved that after seven months of continual taking of eyidenee the Court had decided that the farmers had dealt on the whole justly with their men, and the recommendations of the Court merely said that the farmers should go on doing what they were now doing. He believed that the farmem would on tha whole carry them out where possible. A great, deal had been mode out of the fact that it was possible to make an award in the fanning industry, buD the great point to be considered was not whether it was possible, but whether it was desirable. The Court maintained, as the farmers had maintained, that it was undesirable to .interfere with the worlang conditions. "Itis to be regretted," said Mr Jones, in conclusion " that Mr McCuliough in his interview, has given expression to the views there stated and has accused the Court of being a, party to a gross miscarriage of justice. This comes very badly from a man in tits position. -He was one of the chief originators of the.dispute, and I fully expected he would have had the manliness and good taste to refrain from sitting.on what was practically his ' own offspring, thereby ranking a mockery of ' justis*:. 1 ' ■