CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LIX, Issue 9934, 3 August 1908, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE DROVERS' UNION. ITO THE EDITOR.! Sir, —1 have re;ul with interest the demands of the drovers, but nothing of the hardships and privations mentioned in the heading of your correspondent's letter, and so far as my country judgment goes the whole thing emanates, if not from a candidate for the office of secretary (which appear to be the only fat tilings in these Unions), from a candidate for the oißce of legal adviser to the Union.

So far the drovors have managed to get along very well, ami I could mention instances whero the drover has become an employer of a considerable amount of labour when not addicted to relating his experiences, and I've no doubt grievances, in a hotel bar. Strange to say, I was speaking to a drover ro the matter of employment this morning, and told him, "No work from mo if you belong to the Drovers' Union." Ills reply maybe of use to your local men whom I take an interest in, "No fear; I had enough doing a starve last winter. "

What I should like to know is this: Are the woikers of our "naturally good" country to be ruled by a few agitators either too lazy or without the physical ability to work? Years ago, but not many, the rate of pay for a drover was 10s per day and expenses, and I heard .ao complaints. What has made the necessity for the change to 21s Gd per day? Is it that the drover of to-day is lls 6d a day better thau the man of a fow years ago; or is the work more trying now, with metalled and fenced roads and bridged rivers, than in the good old days, when roads and bridges were unknown? Yonr correspondent talks of the "dark side" of the drover's life, " having to hang about streets or haunt stock agents' or auctioneers' offices," seeking for work in the winter. Good men can, as a rule, get employment on some of the stations, as extra labour is reciuired to look after ewe flocks at the end of winter and in the early spring months; and, again, those who shear eaily often require extra hands before the droving season commences. If the men would giye up the idea of a Union, and keep the money in their pockets, or, better still, invest in a piece of freehold land, they would bo in a better position than taxing themselves and forming a Union for the benefit of the practically unemployed Unionists and paid secretary.—l am, etc.. OLD SETTLER.