NOT A FOOTBALL.

Wairarapa Age, 2 July 1936, Page 5

NOT A FOOTBALL.

MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS AT MOTUEKA. PLAIN WORDS TO AERODROME WORKERS. WILL PUT THEM OFF UNLESS THEY APOLOGISE. MOTUEKA, July 1. Replying to the Motueka Aerodrome workers in an address tonight, the Hon. R. Semple (Minister of Public Works) said that if the men did not withdraw their resolutions afid apologise to the Government he would put them off the work or stop it altogether. 44 If I thought men like these who have complained were responsible for putting me into power,” he said, u l’d resign. What do you think of men with such a mentality, who would pen such resolutions as that, after what I have told you! There are 18 or 19 resolutions. They must have had a brainstorm and developed a form of spinal meningitis.” In reply to a resolution suggesting that the Government, which had offered guaranteed prices to farmers who were not affiliated to the party, should give the workers a guaranteed minimum price for their labour, Mr. Semple said the Labour Party would be better off without them. Last month’s average to men on the Motueka Aerodrome was 19s 4d per day, and the highest wage paid was 23s 4d per day. It was a guaranteed price. 4 ‘The minimum is 16s and the highest as much as they can make on the prices offered,” said Mr. Semple. “They castigate my Government and condemn by engineers and Department and say they’ve got to get out, and then, they send offensive resolutions and call me an outsider. What Minister, unless of the same spirit and spine as a whitebait would take it. All I’ve tried to do is to play the game with them. They are objecting to a farmer receiving a guaranteed pricb. Most of the farmers did not receive 19s per day.” Mr. Semple said he had seen farmers and their families come in tired and weary at night and had seen them in the tobacco gardens at Motneka at 11 p.m., with torches searching for caterpillars. “They call me a dictator,” he dontifaued, “but if they said that in Germany they would find their heads would be missing. If they do not withdraw those offensive indictments they’ll all get off the jobs (Loud applause). I accept it as a challenge to my Government. Reformers have al-, ways been defied and sometimes crucified, but when we get it from those whom we have helped, it hurts. Men who will pull their weight and play the game as they should play it will find me a friend. I have tried long enough to know the responsibility of every deed I commit and all I ask men on public works to do is to be men—honest, truthful and conscientious. The national income is not created for the few. I’ve been snatched from my wife’s side six times and thrown into prison to put into force the principles I’m now following. If anyone thinks I’m a human football to kick when they like, then I’m not going to let them. I haven’t come to cringe to this group. They lied and slandered men who have played the game by them. The average on other aerodromes is 15s per day. It used to be 10s. From the 15s 8d men, I’ve got congratulations, but by these men, on the 19s 8d scale, I have been slandered. They’ll take back those offensive resolutions and apologise to my Government or they’ll go. I want a measure of goodwill and co-operation. Surely, in the name ,of sweet reason and British’ justice, I have tried to do my best that’s all. If I could have done more, then I should have done it. The man who pulls his weight has nothing to fear from me.”—(P.A.)