WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 May 1918, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

SHEARERS’ ACCOMMODATION

STARTLING- ALLEGATIONS

(Our Special Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, May 24. If the statements made by the members of the deputation from the Agricultural and Pastoral Workers’ Union that waited upon the Acting-Minister of In hour j the Hon. W. H. Herries, on Wednesday, are to be trusted, the legislation dealing with shearers’ accommodation placed upon the Statute Book a quarter of a century ago has been shockingly administered in these later years. It was alleged by reputable representatives of Labour from almost every pastoral district in the Dominion that on some sheep stations men ana women workers were being herded together in vermin-infected buildings with out any regard to decency or comfort oi- health. On many stations thore was no provision for washing or bathing or sanitation of any king and only here and there wore the minimum requirement of the law observed. The members of the deputation did not confine themselves to generalities. They gave names and places and times and urged the Minister to make independent inquiries on his own account. IF POSSIBLE!

The Minister’s Tcply to the representations made to him was not calculated to reassure the members of the deputation. They had told him quite plainly what they thought of the Government’s failure to administer the- law. It was a disgrace to the country, it Was criminal and it was characteristic of the Department. Air .Herries was benignly surprised to hear the position was so bad. According to official reports improvements had been effected in which had been the subjects of previous com plaints; the Department had endenv-

; ourod to compel the employers to obj serve the law; all the stations mcntion- '• ed would be inspected and, if possible, , improvements would be made any proj posals for amendments to the law would | be submitted to Mr Massey .with a view •to action next session, and so forth and jso on. When the political head of the j Department in in two minds as to the j possibility of remedying; such conditions as the members of the deputation alleged it is little wonder the Department itself is somewhat loss virile than it was in the days of its lusty youth. SECOND DIVISION CONFERENCE. Up to a certain point the 'President was entirely happy in his remarks at the opening of the Dominion Conference of the Second Division League. He dwelt upon the duty of the Reservists to the State just as earnestly as he did upon their duty to their dependents and he insisted the League was as truly concerned for national interests as it was for individual interests. But lie was not what the dramatic critics would j call convincing when he argued that j the wife should b* “*av#d .from the necessity of'saving money against the return of her husband,” and that Hie Government had “not- yet touched on the. fringe of the sources of wealth in the country.” To giv e the w’ifo an income substantially larger than the one she. at- present is enjoying and then discourage her in the practice of reasonable ' thrift would he in many cases a perilous experiment, and to say the Government has not yet touched the fringe of the source of wealth is to ignore the burden of debt it has built up and the drastic taxation it lias imposed. THE DRIFT OF POLITICAL OPINION.

The presence in Wellington of a. large number of delegates attending the conference of the Second Division League and a considerable number of Labour representntives taking part in the proceedings of the Agricultural and Pastoral Workers’ Union.has afforded the inquiring journalists quite an exceptional opportunity to learn something of the drift of political and party opinion throughout the country. The workers’ representatives it is scarcely necessary to say, are “agin the Government” to a man. Their hopes for the futuro are' not very well defined, hut they are pinning their faith to the “political evolution” (Sir Joseph Ward has foreshadow ed without any very sanguine expectation of seeing either Mr Massey or Sir Joseph at the head of the revival The delegates to th 0 Second Division Conference are of more varied political colour and less ready to express their opinion, but the majority of them are looking forward to radical changes and praying the country may be saved from

the extremists of either side. Meanwhile they, accept the National Government

has the least of possible evils