BULL CAMELS DANGEROUS

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17133, 21 June 1927, Page 10

BULL CAMELS DANGEROUS

OBJECTIONS OF GRAZIERS. AIRED BEFORE JUDGE. The bull camel is a dangerous animal, according to Mr W. L. Sanderson, who is appearing for the West Australian Graziers’ Association in support of an application for a new award in the pastoral industry, before Chief Judge Dethridge in the Commonweallh Arbitration Court at Darlinghurst, Sydney. The pastoralists in the West objected lo members of the A.W.U. bringing stallions and bull camels on to their properties. “Has there been any trouble?" his Honour inquired. Mr Sanderson replied that there had. Station hands on West Australian properties filled in part of their time as prospectors on the goldflelds. They travelled about on camels, and let the bull camels loose. They were dangerous to the employees, as well as to the employer. His Honour: They are not the sort of thing a grazier would want on his property. Victor Williamson, manager of Dunumbrail Station. Walgett, in his evidence, considered that the rule that the man should not catch a sheep when the bell rang three minutes before meal-time was unreasonable. He considered that a boy 14 years I of age should be able to get some employment on. a station. From ii to Hi a boy was very useful on a station. He was as good as anybody at mustering. His Honour said he would like, to know the reason for the proposal for the elimination of the clause relating to boys working on a station under the age of 1(1. It might be a desirable thing, as a matter of general policy, to keep all boys at home until they were 16; but that was a matter for legislation, and not for the Court. What was the object of the limitation?

Mr McNeill, on behalf of the A.W.U., said it, was to encourage parents to keep their boys at school until they were 16. It was undesirable that a boy should travel about the sheds without parental control. The matter stands part heard.