THE WAGES INCREASE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 211, 11 September 1940, Page 4

THE WAGES INCREASE

Sir,—-On Saturday evening I finished my day's work, as usual after dark, after having slogged in thro-: ughout the day from 4.30 a.m. After an evening meal 1 picked up the "Herald" for a quiet half hour's read before retiring to get ready for another similar day's ers have to work on Sundays whether they like it or not,, especially these days when we are expected to produce more and more to help win the war. Glancing through the paper, my attention was attracted by the headlines of two columns in. , close proximity—"Wages Increase" and "Stoical Calm." 1 I read about the wages first. Local body labourers want an increase qf In per cent, in their wages. What for? Have they increased their output of work, or their consumption of tea? Do they start at 4.30 aim. and knock off after dark? Not on your life. They don't know .what a good long day's work is. And yet their representative, a Mr Butler, (I wonder if he ever did a hard day's manual labour) speak* ing on their behalf, said of the primary producers, of me and my brother farmers: ' "The primary producers xa - New Zealand are the greatest ' dole draw ers in the- ;world and now- they want to sneak .a few miserable pence" from these day workers." v .■■ .. . v TMy God! Who "are- these -people, who is this Mr Butler, that they, pre sume to. class, the farmers as the greatest dole drawers in the workl —what a lovely spirit to show (and in a Court of Law too) when the w.hole country is supposed to be united in helping to win the-war-Brother farmers, we- now. "know what the local body workers (and Mr Butler),.think of us. Do you suggest that we should take it with "Stoical Calm"? What is to be done about it? ;- ■ ■:.<■ .; ; .-•- *= .-< Yours ' FARMER* September 9th. .