"HUNNISHNESS AND THE FARMERS' UNION."

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 June 1916, Page 2

"HUNNISHNESS AND THE FARMERS' UNION."

(To the Editor). Sir,—A Jew nionthrs ago, the dairy factory employees in tin.' Wellington. Provincial district farmed themselves into a- union, got provisional registration initio]' tilu? Arbitration Act, and .ul'tei formulating their "demands" in accordance with'tile Act, met representatives <of the employees in the dairy industry, via., Messrs J. G. Harkness (New Zealand Dairy Association), F. Nathan (Pa liners toil- North) and. M. l'iisiher (Carterton), in .a conference with the satisfactory result that on agreement was mutually arrived at whereby wages, liouns, etc., were fixed for the industry in the WellingtonProvince. The Farmers' Union then evidently took a baud, with a view to having this agreement treated, in Hirnmish parlance, ae "a m«re scrap ot papor." The (result was seen at tho dairy conference hcild last week ait Palmers ton North when (as reported in the Post) Mr Mora, the Provincial President of the- Fanners' Union, took the dairy employers to task for entering into it, and moved that "the National Dairy Association cancel its registration under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration, Aot," the object in .this being that thereby the dairy factory employers could break their agreement, "toss it to hell" metapbarioaily wild escape the legal consequences of their conduct. in vain did- Mr J. G. Harkness protest tilmk "a good agreement had been made, audi that having been done, employers, as honorable men, should carry it out." Air Fisher objected to th© Farmfcrs' Union interfering. The agreement made by the factory directors and tlie men was being (honorably observed oil both sides. Moreover, Mr Moss himself agreed; to the committee entrusted with the negotiations. It was of 110 avail, and the motion for the cancellation of the registration was carried. Next day at a meeting of, tlie provincial executive of tho Farmers' Union, on the motion of Sir J. G. Wilson,. Knight (save the mark), Mr Moss was thanked i'o<r what lie had done, which can best' bo expressed in his own words "the result of the Farmers' Union's efforts was that the agreement wat> now void and useless." The reason ndtvanced for their attitude by the Farmers' Union is that this dairy workers' union was joining itself with other unions of agricultural and pastoral workers but this woe known to the daky employers at the time when, the agreement was made, and as Mr Harkness put it: "If ton farnieirs' unions thought it right to unite their forces in one big union, they could not logically deny the right of the men to form themselves into one big union." Now, Sir, 1 have no personal interest in this matter whatever, but it does not require much foresight to see that the policy of the Farmers' Union as shown here is going to bring about serious trouble, and my principal object in writing to you are first to give a little more publicity to the proceedings of Inst week, and secondly to ask the local members of the Farmeifl' Union and

tho directors of the local dairy company if they wore consulted in regard to the cancelation oil : the assoo.Btions's registration, and il so did) they approve of it. It they don't approve of it what Bteps do they propose to take to see that tho agreement arrived at in honorably carried out. I cannot think, Mr Editor, that tho farm era of this district., many of whom arc my personal' friends, can countenance such dishonorable condluct 011 the part of thei;r union's executive.—i am, etc. J. ROBERTSON.