FEDERATIONISTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVI, Issue 14911, 2 December 1912, Page 9

FEDERATIONISTS.

TIRED OF IDLENESS AND FEELING HOMESICK. A restive feeling is gaining ground mongst the Waihi strikers who were rdered to Auckland with their amilies by officials of the Federation, "here is every indication, indeed, that f the Federation delays much longer he playing of its mysterious "trump •ard." of which so much has been leaid and so little has been seen, the uen chiefly concerned may break outnto active resentment. The Federaion officials and Strike Committee who ire controlling the movements of strikers now in Auckland will neither permits to men to go to work nor to leave the city. This autocratic Di'ocedure is giving rise to grave dissatisfaction, as several of the strikers have large families to keep and homes lying neglected at Waihi. These men naturally want to obtain employment, or at least, to be allowed 10 occupy their own houses again. Married men with families of four are receiving 37s 6d per week in strike pay. and those with more than four in the. family are receiving £2 per week. Single men are drawing 17s Gd per week. It js stated to he the, intention of the Strike. Committee to pay out an all round increase on these amounts of 2s Gd per week after December Ist. That the leaders of the Federation of Labour are losing their hold upon many of the strikers is apparent. Several have returned to Waihi in spite of the virtual prohibition they are under. Some of the strikers complain bitterly that thev are forced to stav in Auckland and remain idle. They are kept absolutely in the dark as to what the Federation, officials intend to do. It is thought that their idea, is to declare Waihi a "scab" disrict. Some of the men favour returning to Waihi first, and if any of them are victimised then black-listing the "oldfields town. This course, however, does not meet with the approval of Federation lenders. So far as can be gathered from enquiries made, the strikers are in no mood to tolerate much further de.'ay iu the settlement of the matters affecting them. There is talk of throwing off the Federation at Christmas unless the leaders make good their promises to lead them to a "glorious victory." The men a linear to still have faith in the Federation as a body, but to have lost all patience with the leaders. —Press Association.