EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE

Te Puke Times, 25 July 1919, Page 3

EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE

BETTER UNDERSTANDING WANTED "Mr Holland, one of deputation has made some remarks that I want to call attention to," said Sir James Allen to the Labour deputation at Wellington a day or two ago. "I have been doing what I could, and I think every honest man should do what he can, not to add fuel to the fire that keeps employer, and employee apart, but try to remove suspicion, get them together, and see if they can't get some better method of carrying on industry and dealing with the situation in the interests of progress and trade generally, And so I deprecate the remarks of Mr Holland, because they were obviously said to add to suspicion and create illfeeling on both sides. Mr Holland spoke of 'men who toil not, neither do they spin.' " Sir James said he believed'the re-' mark was made to lead these working men to believe that jjhe only worker was the man ,g&jP\ worked with his hands, Mem? bers; "No!" Sir James Allen: "I want to ask Mr Holland if he works in the way he intends his remarks to»be understood." Mr Holland: "Ihavebeenanindustrialist all my life till I got into • Parliament, and you know it." Sir James said he had worked harder as a Minister than ever before, but he was held up as not being a worker, because he did not hew *' coal out of a mine. Mr P. Fraser: "You know we would rather not have you work where you are, . Sir James" (Laughter). Mr Holland said he did not apply the remark to Sir James, nor djd he intend what Sir James imputed to him. Sir James: '%t flol- : land wants to create suspicion and unrest, and I resent it. j say to you all here now that you want to get hold of Mr Holland and get him to restrain his tongue, and see if he cannot acknowledge - that there is some generosity of ?pirit even in a man who has capital," Mr Holland: "Andyou should try to understand what is said."