HIS MASTER'S VOICE.

Wairarapa Age, 15 December 1920, Page 4

HIS MASTER'S VOICE.

Recent Australian files to hand show that the waterside worker of Brisbane has nowadays more leisure to smo*ko and flunk than he cares for. About three months ago orders came from Melbourne that overseas shaping was, to be irritated at Brisbane; that load-, ing was only to go on for one-third of i the time and the ships were to lie I idle a I the wharves for the rest. The wnlersiders were not to work during the prohibited hours, even for overtime money. A ballot taken at Bris-'i bane, after long delay, revealed the f'i'.cl that a great majority of the men did 7iol want to cease work. They had simply obeyed "the master's voice." Then the voice spoke again. Tl did not say it had been an ass all along, nor did it explain nor apologise. Ti simply ordered that things should resume. But. meanwhile a big liner had gone to Brisbane and Townsville to load, and, finding it was not worth while to spend three weeks at terrific expense over one week's work, it left the goods and came back empty*. Whereupon rise big shipping companies remarked that Brisbane was only a third-rale port, and laid out new timetables with Brisbane omitted. Xow, it seems that no one on the waterfront has ilie courage to ask the mandarins who gave the futile orders that caused the trouble what their reasons were. The meeting of slatightprmp.vi ami fnu'/ing woiSis pmphiyPps at Hastings, \\imo tlipre arc three large works, is reported to have ended rather noisily on Friday night, the men showing plainly tiiiit tlioy wished to got to work before Christmas. It may be unfair to draw n parallel between Hastings and Brisbane, but it would almost seem «, that "the master's voice" was .spealdng to Hastings from as far away as Timaru. The outcome of the industrial meeting at Timaru is awaited with interest.