FARMERS PROTEST.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1761, 28 May 1913, Page 7

FARMERS PROTEST.

AGAINST MILITANT LABOUR,

STRIKES DISCUSSED.

AT FARMERS' UNION CONFERENCE. / 1 •

The relationship of Labour. to the farming community was interestingly reviewed by the president of the Wellington! branch of tht? Farmers' Union (Mr. J. G.- Wilson), at the opening of the annual conference at Masterton yesterday.

"Scarcity pf Labour," said Mr. Wilson., "is more and more restricting agricultural work, and I should not wonder to sen ■ that before next harvest we shall have to supplement our crop by importing flour from Australia. Tho cheaper land there, and tho warmer and drier climate enable farmers to harvest their crops at much less expense ihan we can here. In one operation, with the improved harvester, they can cut, thresh, and bag the grain, whereas hero we have fe> go through tho regular and expensive process of cutting, stoolang, stacking, and threshing the grain. If the growth of wheat is 'restricted, it will mean that tho land .will be used for dairying or for fattening lambs. _ If _ the price of lambs keeps up, there is little to choose between the two systems, as •there is less labour connected with fattening lambs than in milking cows. Tmo tho machines have been brought to a high state of perfection, and are a wonderful saving of labour,- and they are coming into general use; difficulty has been experienced in keeping the tuibes clean, and in some cases the quality of the cheese has been affected because of unclean tubes. No doubt some material other than India rubber will be found which will be easier cleaned.' Strike Lessons. "The. only' serious drawback farmers have had this last season was tho slaughtermen's strike. Happily that seems now to be over, though there has been a recurrence of it at Timaru. It was a season which from the backwardness of the rape crops made it easy for most of the farmers to hold their lambs. The result is, I think, that a salutary lesion has been taught to those who lead labour in tlieso matters, that there conies a time when it is better to make some loss than submit to extortion. "It was also a lesson to the farmer, who must in his own interests bo prepared, if. occasion requires, to man the boards., In some instances this was done during the strike, and the force of example had a most beneficial effect. It 'has shown the. freezing companies that the places of the ■slaughtermen can be filled by outside labour,, and that it is necessary to have a constant supply of learners cominy on to take the place of those giving up this class of work from various causes. It also brings up, a veryimportant point in connection with the Arbitration Court. Too often it is not those who have to pay in thq end, that a opear in the' Court against increases. If the case is lost, the cost is passed on to others. There should bo sotno provision made whereby thoso who ultimately have to nay the increased cost should have theright to be represented in Court. It is the old question of taxation without representation, only the money does not go into tho coffers of the State. Tn the same way those deciding such questions as steamer freights, are generally agents only, 'and those who have to pay have no-voice in the matter. The remedy in this case is to induce other lines of steamers to take up the running, and I am not without hope that if things ?.o. well we may yet liave auother line in the trade. Spoilt Children. again to labour and its relation to capital and tho community, the samo trouble seems to .be going on all over'tho world as shown by the cables. In Sydney the other day, Judge Heydon made some forcible remarks when some strikers camo up before him. Ho read a severe'lesson to; tho'defendants, and declared that the defenco was a series of transparent and dishonest sophistries. Like spoilt children, all that they could seo was that they were not getting their own way in everything. They looked upon the community as something to be kiclted and outraged at their will, and to be further despoiled and insulted at the earliest opportunity. "It was nn evil sign of tho times, Judge Heydon said, that this attitude should aopear not merely towards private employer, but also towards the State. The strikers had returned at,the crack of the whip in fear of losing their positions, and it was fright, not fidelity, that had brought them back. Referring to preference to unionists, the Judge said: "Let the labour leaders beware lest they set .the country thinking that the preference stiould Tath'er be to those wTio set loyalty to the State above the dictation of any private body-.' "No punishment, Judge Hevdon concluded, that tho Court could inflict would •be comparablo to that which the community iu its good nnturo and patience abstained from inflicting.' Labour is so militant, that thp effect on .the community, is not considered nt all, and however unpleasant it may bo to make a island, cotmbimed effort) must I>e made if the trade of the Dominion is to continue, and the production of the land be increased. Any attempt nt conciliation is too often heralded as an evidence of weakness."