SHEARERS' DEMANDS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 912, 3 September 1910, Page 10

SHEARERS' DEMANDS.

Sir,—l have-boon glancing through the proposed conditions 01 iuiiuui' ueiuahuim uy ui'e Now Zealand Shearers' Union, and uiey are really interesting. "■',.. .'.take Clause (i: Hours iof work—"not 'more thuh 4a .hours shail : be. worked in any one week." . Air. -shearer, might be iiUo ,ior two days.- at tho beginning of the wuek' througn ruin,. and ue is not prepared to. make, up'for lost .tiuio.at.' me end ot jit, but he doesn't' care.. ,-' 7 Ciauso :''J ;is especially'; ingenuous": >;.It ( . reads—''ln : thß,'' event of ' any'- stoppaga id'niauliiuOryut'uny shed through'oieii'iv-' age, or Hi cash'thcrtlieure.r "is Tendered; Kile, either 'Owing"' to the 'employer ' or' his agent I'lUliiif'to start..' 'shearing :oh dato of advice,' tho oinpioyer.-or his.agent: shall pay tho .shearer at .tho rale ■"of. Is. iid. per hour tor an. time lost. Lovely! isn't itr' ■ ■'". ' : .No matter how careful, a man maj be, all uiucluiiery is liable to break. ao'wn, : yet the sheurers 'demand .payment iur tho tiiuo tliey stt around smoking. A' bad-tempered" shearer lias only got to' seriously. damage the machinery, and he and Ju.l uiiito can' play" cards all uuy and live on: tho ,t'nt-. or-.the .laud,' plus, ■is. .3d. per .hour.. Urand!-.-isn't ;itp; ■-..,- .Clause. ,15 .is rather iuteresting.:-as,:.an. example of -tho! .oiie-sidednessj ol',.ttii!. award asked for.; It says;'"'in the.cveht. of any. dispute as; to' wet sheep,, the .men's. representative shall : 'tftko;'.ft -vqti)';'of .'the; shenra:s','.'l.Ke drcisiuii'.of'jtllo- majority'to. be final," -:b'ut\this v is ; ' ; negativca : '. i with:' "A ny individual -shearer -shall l - bd-'Opeii-' to" refuse' to shear aiiy: sheep- which'' ho; liasroasouablo .causo. to believe . to be ..wet.": in. other words, the .majority .vote is to ho final at one .moment, j.and the-.-individual .shearer can upset it tho jiexU Shades of Tom Mann! !.!;' . '.v.; • Clause .20 is.- absurd ..surely! It .pro'-' tides that .the employer shall find one. grindstone of suitnbiu quality for .every' six or part of 'six shearers,' each < grindstone'to be not less'than loiu. in diameter. Consequently, if tho,..farmer . has three grindstones each of only lGiu. in diameter, he must three more, and as these by next year wilt bo worn doivn to less than ltiin., lie. trill probably havu to order three more, and so on ad infinitum'. One- would almost think the Bhoarers hud. shares :in soma uriudstouo trust. ;' ■' "■. " ■'■■■' ! ''•".' '■■": ..■"'■' •? r -:--■■'"'•'•' ■ But look,> Clause -29; is. the pick-:of the: bunch.' .It requires tho employer "to provide woll-caokcd and wholesome food in sufliciont quantity, including not less, than JJlb. of butter and Jill;;, ol* jam per man per..week; Row.many shearers?have lJlb. of butter per' week" at /homo?'..if,■ they do, they Jivo bettor than hundreds of others who sire' iii .Constant work, all tho year "round. But this' clause cb'ittinues: "Ho shall supply th« : cook, with tho following ;'rations:—Oatmeal, ' tea, coil'oe, sugar,' Hour, sugo, rice,: currants, raisins, .fine salt, pepper, 'mustard,; viiuv gar, milk, vegetables (to include cabbage,, potatoes, and onions), mutton, beof, buk' vng powder, craam of tartar, .carbonate of , soda, hops, dried apples, ~and curry powder." ' Doesn't it make your mouth Wflterf - -■■■ ••- ■ ■■-.-:-■ , :■ . Why not-include.figs, date?, and-prancs with the •"To 'say nothing of tinned pineapple, 'peaches,'' or pears, and whj, omitytho- cream?.. The shearer-might, just as well .have 'thorn, This clause then winds up;.."No.Asvatic to bo employed as cook or. to supply vegetables."-. In many : districts,-.tho Chinaman is the only grower of vegetables, and is tho farmor to send 50. mile* to get a sack of vegetables from a European? Who-pays the freight? .-Not the 'sheurer, f gni'M. Clause 39. provides that, representatives of their association shall be allowed to visit shearers" for the .purpose of enrolling members, so I ■ presume these men can : go- to tho shed and interfere: with the work, .because, of'coursc,. the .shearers won't rniiid,. as they-fire to be. paid 13.: 3d., on, hour for "all .time lost.'.' •.• ~•,--- Clause .40; If the shearer -leaves,, or> is discharged, before-tlie completion- of. the shearing, the employer,,'shall ; have the shearer's 'horse, brought to.:.tho .door:;ofthe shed, or "shall .provide him with a horse to get his own iu.".. How does the shearer mana'go about' -getting his horso when, he : is at home, or working at anything else? Jjecauso ho. \% shearing with a man for a few days ho is to bo treated liko an honoured guest, when probably oven tho farmer's own young friends would have to chase out and catch'their own horses. Why not make the. farmer bring him'a mug-'of shaving water in tne morning? Poor, helpless fellow! ". Clause 45: "Fares shall-.be paid for all shearers from .office of. engagement to station, men finding ,ttieir own means of locomotion to receive payment equal to tho fare." Most- of us are only too glad to pay our own way to' a billet where we can earn,a crust, but hot-so shearers. Beally, sir; if such clauses, as-these go through, there will be a grand, rush to join the ranks of the shearers. Can you wonder thnt ■' we ordinary mortals who have to wait upon ourselves and' find our own means of locomotion to work', complain with envying tones'and sorrow tn our hearts: "I wish I were a shearer." -1 am, etc., PLODDER.