LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2894, 5 October 1916, Page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

SHEEP-SHEARING PfiICES . HAEMiIDLIpOLIOY,. j., SU' t —Sheep-ownors aro apt going to (ha wise, ianiy opinion, if they folkSf • [fho lead given by...a Hawke's Bay •owner,' A large peroentago of sheep"iowners had early deoided in thoir own laiinda (considering the high price of ftvool) to this season pay 255. por 100. JBut when the shenrers' representatives, j.through tho A.P.U., tried to make that $ricg a fixed award for three years, 'steep-owners, rightly objected, -Tho shearers' representatives have not, the slightest intention of going to the Arbitration Court for an award, They know that they have no chance of an ' advance,' beyond that already offered 'at the recent conciliation meeting. They jolso know that an .agreement .is at ,'present in existence, and will bo con-» *inue until next March, fixing the miniitaum rate at 20s. per 100. Mr. Grandlerknew that things generally were going on well as between owners fcnd shearers, and that, as far as thi3 season was concerned, 255. would be s paid, without much argument. But that" ' did not, Buit his book., The A.P.TJ. would not get a "boost" 1 Henco the . noise. _ When a labourer, whose only asset is his labour, goes out to sell it 3a tho best market available, he is only. • "doing what any farmer does with his , '-assets, and no ono can blame him. But "when Mr. Grandler and a few more get together and oall themselves the 'A.P.U., and start out to get awards for every form of farm labour, they 'aro out on a mission which is going to do harm to farmers and labourers dike. Their aim is to get a shepherds? award, a fencers' award, . milkers' ward, a ploughmen'b award,' and so onthroughout every branch of .-farm labour. And after they have succeeded ■in this, attempt to tie each class of farm labour to tho one job. /The heat 'evidence .of what I say being true, istheir attitude, in regard to the .shed hands', award.. The present agreement' is for Is. 2d. per hour (nine-hour day), or a weekly wage of 355. Now the ..'•'. wiuntry . districts are crying out for Jabour of every kind, yet Mr. Grandler wishes to have 6hed-bands do nothing . ' tnt shed "work, although on every, farm ■while the sheep ..are wet these ,men «ould be earning'lOs. per day and food . : at'.other work.^—l.am, .etc., . '.'" ~....:'.. ALEO. D. M'LEOD. ~.; Martinhorough, September ; 9, 1916. .:;_.:.THB WAwpN-pN-pMES HOSPITAL .■ \r : '': : ' : - ::• .' Sir,~l note with ■ special pleasure ' that Dr.. Marshall Macdonald assures -us. that the Walton-on-Thames Hospital- .'. is doing splendid work, especially 6ince : it has reverted to military control. He also tell8, ; UB that patients are not-tho, hest judges, and his' expert, .opinion •-. -must carry great-weight. We-know •'that everything New Zealand-rinclud-'ing hospitals,, doctors, and nurses—is b#ter than everything ■ English, but " perhaps—even if we cannot learn anything from it—it, may be interesting to hear how patients compare English ' hospitals and New Zealand military 'ones. ' ' . "This place is very nice in lots of ways," writes a wounded New ZeaJandor, "but the surgeons have nothing like tho experience of /those in the big English hospitals—the by the way,-is said to have just arrived from,.,New_ Zealand;- .At :the English 'hospitals all new patients .were ex- : ;amined, immediately the jnurses could - get them ready, but. if a;; man comes in here after the .daily inspection he . is Jeft till next day. The whole place ' is, plastered with-rules and regulations, .and offenders, before the Orderly hold .daily, and' > given O.Bj, and. 50.0n.. Here'tho.C.O.i-' ■ Snd %^ ! 'se.fgea'nt-'major■- , •'jnake.'a daily of. the' pital, and we'all have to stand; beside our beds at attention. .Then the ward 'medical officer comes along. The regu■•lation says 'that patients must not leave their wards until after "the inspection' of 'their'M.O.' . 'The' Colonel' came yesterday at 10 a>m.,' and to-day .' I have been sitting-'besidemy bed till 3 p.m., and no sign of the M.O. At ■ the English hospitals itwas all over by , 10.30 a.m., and men in the convalescent, stage did not need to stay unless specially told. In the other hospitals there were shelves of hooks and magaEiues in every ward, and the freo run of the library in the, recreation hall, . but hero the library is closely padlocked up and openecl only from 11.30 to 12 p.mi on Tuesdays and Fridays, ~, when, as likely as not, we aro all tied "•"_~ i '--,j]n. waiting for the doctor to arrive. 'Altogether there .is an'entire absence of tho freedom and liberty, of' the English hospitals'.' The only leave here .is.from 2 to 5 p.m. and 6.30 to 8 p.m. .At other hospitals' it was from 10 a;m. to 6.30-p.m.i-and; occasional Weekrehds 'to see friends and' relations.."'There' : aro pretty reaches of the Thames,here;:: and two Wats-for-hire,'bnt it.cost6:ls. ;an;houi' v to;go'bn'it, and we can't'run' ■ 'inuoh" of that on our'pay^ ; _ OnejNow ■ Zealander here ''". was" getting special from experts in a great Eng- ' . 'lisli' hospital, and'w"a s making good progress, when 'a, sudden, order came ordering all Now Zealandors to Wal-ton-oh-Thames. Without' the' slightest inquiry into his case, he was dumped down here, -where thero are no great nerve experts, and' where the electrical apparatus, is as different from, what Ho was being treated with as a 6ewing machine is irom a motoMaK".; We a,ro not a military nation,' and in spite of Dr. Macdonald's assurance in no place does; military red-tapo and' ,/gaol-liKo ;egulations appear to worso advantage than in an hospital.—l am, etc., A PARENT.