LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1897, 4 November 1913, Page 9

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

A FARMER'S VIEW. (To the Editor.) Sir, —I am not in tho habit of writing to tho Press, but I think at a time liko tins it behoves every farmer, and in fact, every man with any sense of responsibility to help in every way ho can tho efforts of tho Government in restoring law and order in Wellington. It j means to tho farmer that unless transit of his produce is restored it is worth practically nothing. The dairy farmer, because his produce is tho most perisht, able, will 6Uifer tho most; his credit f will suffer first because tho banks can--5 not advance against stuff that will not 1 keep unless it is in cool storage; and 3 although 110 man who is a man likes to 3 tako the bread out of another man's j mouth, tho farmers aro quite justified 5 in looking after their own interests, and . either going themselves or sending their 5 sons to handle their own stuff on tho l wharves; and I think tho labour leader j ™ made tho insulting remarks about 3 tho cow' farmers' sons will bo extremely " m L rry , for bimself before it is all over, ! Tho farmor in this country is about . tho only man who produces wealth. . |S early everyone else .get their,living m 1 handling his exports or imports, br in j doing his business in some form or anj otlior._ If, therefore, the only wealth 3 that is produced in this country is in ) tho form of farm produce, and if it cannot bo shipped, it is not wealth, but [ merely butter, cheese, moat, and wool j practically of no value whatever, tho j country in a very short timo would bo . bankrupt. If my argument, is right, this ' strike must end, and quickly, fhcro aro only two ways of doing it: tho men must go back to work, or tho farmers must do the work themselves, and they must be adequately protected. The response I from iliis district both for itjouuted constables and workers was extremely gra< : tifying as it showed very plainly tho r farmers quite see tho gravity of the situation and are determined not to allow themselves to bo ruined because a few . men want to dictate how tiio country > should bo run. In conclusion 'I think , I can venture to say that Mr. Massey has the sympathy of tho farmers in tho " difficult position ho has to face, and tho _ firmer tho stand ho takes tho more friends ho xvili make. —I am, etc., Clarevillo. ! THE FEDERATION OF LABOUR. . (To tho 15ditor.) ( [ Sir,—That injudicious reference 'by Sir i Joseph Ward ro tho Polico Forte, seoin- , ed liko throwing water on burning oil, i and 1 am sure it would have its ovil , effect on those loaders of tho federation, i I scarcely know how to express it—tiioy i remind me of firebrands, and I am oor--1 tam that hundreds besides mo are . sorry to seo men being so deceived and . led away by then: to the losing of their . jobs and tho breaking-up of many a home. My advice to tho working man of New Zealand is: Break away from tho Federation, form unions if you wish, but no federation. Do not placo yourselves at til© _ will of men who will llout your authority or advico simply to retain i their own billets and obtain a good i ''screw" ; aye, plucking you to feather , their own nests. I am not a chicken. ! I have had men over mo ? and men under ■ me, and have mixed with all classes of . men since I was eleven years old, and with 64 years of work know what I am talking about, and if men will bo so foolish a-3 not to listen to reason, why they must simply take the consequences. It is well known that farmers and others aro determined to maintain law and order, and it is to bo hoped that a dccisivo stand will bo taken by tho authorities during tho present crisis. Otherwise, .in the event of a repetition, it might bo harder to induce farmers' sons and others to so readily como forward to tho rescue. I think if tho gag was put on several of tho leaders tho men might settlo down to calmor reflections concerning the situation, and listen to reason instead of being stirred up to. rebellion by tho fractious few. —I am, otc., HENRY WALTON. Waikanao, Novombcr 3, 1918. THE QUICKER THE BETTER. (To the Editor.) Sir, —I was very pleased to read Mr. ' P. lially's, tho Conciliation Commis- \ sioner's, remarks regarding tho striko ' which shows that ho holds very strong i humanitarian views. Surely it is not too j I late to mako another attempt to brinft , about industrial peace with honour to . both parties. It is not my intention, to 1 | go into the details of what caused tho strike, as in nine cases out of ten they aro trivial. Sufficisnt to say that wo. have tho strike, and the quicker it is f settled the hotter for all parties con- t rerncd, especially for those who have i to suffer who aro noncombatants. Now, , heforo this dispute is settled it is evi- , dent that either one party or tho other n must glvo way. and as the world is \ guided by compromise 1 would suggest , that another representative meeting' bo f called of cmployors and employees, and v that Mr. P. lliilly, or some other ox- l porienced gontleman, bo asked to tako ■ tho chair a,s mediator and try to bring } about an honourable settlement of this dispute, and I would liko to mention tho

[ following suggestions as likely grounds for settlement:—' , ' . (1) That both parties agree to wipo tho slato and resumo work under tlso old agreemeht, with tho understanding that tho Wat-wsidors' Union do hereby pledge themselves (in this instanco) to pay to tho Wellington Hospital tho sum of two hundred and fifty -pounds in tho nature _of a fmo for tho alleged broach of agreement. (2) That tho Watersidors' Union do take a vote of their members on tho question of registering wilder tho Arbitration Act, and if a three-fifths majority is in favour of same, the employers bo approached and bo advised of same. _Th© questions of wages, hours, and privileges -to bo same as last agreement. (3) That tho Watersiders' Union .do hereby reconsider their decision in regard to tho No. 4 offer made by tho employers, viz; "That tho delegates bo authorised to extend:tho late agreement- for a poriod of three years from | data to apply to Wellington only with a penalty, of £500 iter stoppage of work as defined bv Clanso 2S of tho late agreement" Perhaps this bo modified, say, to £100, and as this strike is now in tho hands of the Federation of Labour, probably it could bo made to apply to all the different ports if deemed advisablo. (4) That tho Watersiders' Union do convene -a meeting of nl! their ■ members and formulate a modified counterproposal by way of. answer to the four proposals. as submitted by employers. . (5) That representatives of lxitli sides aa;reo to have tho disputo settled by the Arbitration Court, both sides to agree to lie bound by its decision the event of parties Agreeing to same, work to be resumed immediately without prejudice. The only issue the Court to be asked to decido if a breach' wero committed, and what fin© if any. Sir, I am sure that if reason, instead of brute forco, were uke-d, a speedy termination will soon bo effected and tho necessity for free labonr and special constables would be obviated, and I sincerely trust that tho healing word will bo found very soon to avoid what may be a national disaster.—l ativ ote,, P. H. GOSSE, November 1, !

FREE LABOUR AND THE TRAM' WAYS. (To the Editor.) Sir,—-Poor, weak-6j>irited Wellington, Whoro is your courage f or have you become accustomed to grovel at tho feet of every lawless union? It was stated in The .Dominion last week that a free labourer, and solely becauso ho was such, was ejected from a tram-car. Assuming this to bo a fact, is no fiotiea to bo taken of it by tho authorities? If so, I blush for thorn as linicil fts for tho door of tho unlawful act. Such an act being reported eliould meat with instant dismissal. Should this _ be tho e&uso of all tho employees ceasing work, and the scrvico como to a standstill, far better that it 6hould bo so than suffer tho degradation of being tyrannised' by our employees. I thought that the question of who controlled tho tramways waß settled a few, years ago. Has not the ejected one a strong casa at law against tJio. corporation? Cauno? tho councillors pass a by-law that any! conductor refusing a pla'co on the cars, when there is room and the applicant being decent, be subject to a heavy find and dismissal from tlho service P Excepting tho present custom of declining 6hort distance travellers froin long-dis-tance running cars, if it stiE exists..—j am, ete., STRIKE BREAKER.. Wellington., November 3, 1818., THE CHURCHES AND THE STRIKE, (To tie Editor,) Sir,—lt would bo hotter were tha ministers to work more and talk less j instead of condemning the Government for bringing Mounted men into the City they should cndeirvour to fill their churches. There wotild then bo fewer law-breakers, and consequently fewer ' strikes. —I am, etc., CHUHCHWOMAN. MOD RULE AND LAV/ AND ORDER. I (To the Editor.) Sir, —Sir J. G. Ward is reported taf I have said, when introducing tho deputation to the Prime Minister yesterday, that they had. to: consider "\yhat. was the best course to pursue to' enable the striko to bo sottled." lam surprised at a man. of Sir J. G. Ward's ability and oxpErienco putting it in that way. Tho question is a national one, and affeets every law-abiding citizen in tho community, whether employer or employee. The question facing the Government is, "Shall a small section of tho community, which believes in mob rule, terroriso their fellows, who aro in favour of law and order, and a square deal?" If tho strikers are not prepared to fotm a union and register under the Act, they should bo compelled to Stand aside, and mako way for others that are, and not bo allowed to paralyse tho I industries of tho country, "New Zea-' land will soon have 'To Lot' stuck up on it if our demands are not granted,™ said a speaker ill tho Square. The employers have mado tho mort. roasonftblo and liboral offers, and tliejfj have "turned them down." Tho_ em« . ployors should not concede an inch*' otherwise the porformanco will have to he goiio over again, only in a more acuta form. A section of tho employees seem to look upon tho employer as their,, worst enemy. Well, lot tho cmploycrsi-j sit down wliilo tho men learn tho les--son that their employer is their best) friend. Of courso, there aro thousands of exceptions. The Gjsbomo watorsiders, for instance, decided thoy would not come out. as they were, unlike their . Wellington brethren, in neod ofq money, and intended to tako tho opportunity of earning some wliilo it offered.—l am* etc., A WORKER, P.S.—Most psoplo are agreed that W4 aro now reaping tho aftermath and pay- 1 ing very dearly for tho settlement o? the tramway strike, for whioh Sir J. G. Ward was responsible; and I, for ono, think that ho should hold his peaco, anct; bo the last man to interfere during that present struggle.