CONDITIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19440, 28 October 1925, Page 6

CONDITIONS IN AUSTRALIA

MB. BIGNELL’3 IMPRESSIONS. THE WORKERS AND THE “BOSSES.” LABOUR GOVERNMENT BLIGHT. “It is not a question of discontent on the part of the ordinary work.ng man,’’ said Mr A. G. Bignell, who has just returned from a visit to Australia, to a “Chronicle” reporter yesterday, when discussing the industrial conditions on the “other side.” Mr Bignell said the men were under tho control of the foreign agitator's. The workers in Australia were well paid, and there would be plenty of work for them if it were not that the strikes and labour troubles deterred employcds from starling fresh enterprises. Tho position was made worse by the Labour Government being under the control of the labour bossos. They were not leaders of lair our, but simply preyed on the men, and used them for their own ends. Mr Bignell stated that the Labour Party, as soon as it got into power, raised their own salaries (as already cabled) and made the increases retrospective. But the members were not content with that. Whenever they could the members got on to special committees and were paid extra for that, each at the same »time drawing his honorarium as a member. In New Zealand this work was ‘ ‘ extra ’ ’ and was not paid for. Where Labour ruled, said Mr Bignell, there was more discontent than in Victoria. The Labour Government could not bring about the conditions it set out to attain. Efforts to do so caused more unrest. Referring to the seamen’s strike, Mr Bignell said it was outrageous to sc' a fleet of British ships swinging with the tide at anchor in Sydney harbour, while foreign ships, with crews paid less than the British seamen were, reap ed a harvest.