THE SHEARIURS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 September 1921, Page 4

THE SH EARIURS

AIR GRAYNDi.vRs .MISSION. ( lIIMSTCMriUTL 1,1. lit Mr t . Grnyndler, general secret,hv 1 Mm New Zealand Y'>-n her.-' Union has arrived in Chrisirhura i> for the purpose of taking pail in iii.’etings of shea it is held held to discuss the lieu award made by the Court of Arbitration reducing shearers" wages Air Grnyndler, who has been attciii'fing similar meetings in the North Island. slates that l!,c council of the union lias dclinitclv m tiiieil all niem--1 is to accent no engagement- Gib season under the new rales. From the union's point of view it w is iinmaloris| to i[ whethcl' or not llm jiublie i on-sidci-'-il this lo lie tanlami.tinl to a strike: if it was a -hike. Mr Gravmller con-idcred that the judge n| the Court of Arbitration was responsible for it ahr felt sure that the shearers had the hacking of Ah" .1, A. Alc-Culloiigh. Air Grnyndler is of opinion that shearing cannot lie hold up for -i fortnight, and that if the shearers maintnin their refusal for a mouth the slieepowHers w ill lie <-uui]ie||ed to enpH.illale. NEWSPAPER COMMENT. A\ ELLINGTON. Septeinher 10. Referring to the shearers’ Arbitration Court award, the ■■Piuninion" says: “Shearers are belter placed than most people. The general secretary of the Now Zealand Workers’ Union (Air C. Grnyndler) is talking arrant nonsense will'll In- says (hat the industry cannot nfl'ord to lie Imlil up. and that Im expects llm slii-cpou inn's will lie cvni! ''lied to capitulate in a month's time. \ proportinn of the slmar'Ts undoubtedly will refuse to sa'-rilice we|lj aid etnplovnmnt, merely in order to sole,, the wounded si-lf-inioort.-ince of tln-ir union officials, hut oven if it were otherwise, there would he nn danger in existing conditions of the industry being held ini nr of slieepfarniers b-'ing compelled to concede extortionale and unfair demands. The assertion that the new award is unjust to shearers is completely answi red in the fact that farmers throughout the Dominion are quite ready to do their own shearing b v methods of mutual aid. where shearers refuse to do the work at tlie rates the Court has fixed. Even it no question has arisen about rates, many farmers would have dispensed ibis season with the assistance of outside shearers. It is no new tiling for the man on the land tii ease Hie pressure of had times by an extra working effort. Any attempt now made to set aside the new award will simply impel fanners to rely to a still greater extent their own efforts made more effective bv neighbourly co-operation.” OPINION IN RAWKEd RAY. NAPIER. Sentemlmr LA. Tn conversation with a reporter, Air W C. Prime, secretary of tlie Hawke's Ray Sheepowners’ Union, gave an indication of the feelings of fanners in this district in reference to tlie advice of the executive -(4* the New Zealand AVorkers’ Unions to shearers and slu'd bands to refrain from making arrangements under the Arbitration Court s recent award.

“In our opinion,said Air Prime “this threat is absolute bluff. In Die first pbus\ it is intended to throw dust in the eyes of the public by trying tn make them think the shearers are lK‘ing 111-used, and asked to accept ridiculously low rates of pay. whereas a great majority of the men realise that the rates are fully equivalent to those earned by other workers, and higher than many of those engaged in the industry can stand. As a matter of fa *t, we know that a great majority of the shearers, that is actual workers, not officials of the Union, are more than satisfied with the award rates. Tn many parts of this district shearers are already nnxioiislv looking for work, and

will ins to go ahead iit tlio award rates If Mr (Iniyii(llt*r*s threat wor«» intended seriously all 1 can say is that ho and tin* officials of the Tnion were very ill-advi-ed in their own interests. Their attempt to hold up shearing ( ann »t' sticc4\m|. fiir tin* reason already mentioned. Jinil liy tea son of the fact tint o many farmers. on account of the financial stringency, arc forced to do their own shearing. Ah' Grayudlorks tin.-at wiP ] roUaldy h<* the means of inducing other farmers who are not actually forced to do their own shearing to now make arrangements to do so. '1 he danger of Mr Gray toiler's t tiion lies it! the fact that their art ion will indue* many who otherwise would Have employed shearers to do the work themselves. Quite a number of young farmers, partcularly among the soldier settlers wlu> had not thought of doing their own shearing localise it is tin* generally accepted eustoni to employ shearers, if they find they can get alone without shearers once will have learned t<, do the work themselves. and in future seasons will continue to do so. Mr Grnyndler is making a lot of the fact that wool prices show a tendency to rise, ile quite overlooks the fact that the rises are comparatively small percentages, hut oven though the were as much as 50 por cent., -even that would not bring prices up to hall what they were during the commandeer or up to a paying level. For instance. 50 per cent, on 4d only brings toe pric to (kl. whereas the ,ummandoor pri< • was probably Is :3d. TW* statement that farmers cannot afford to hav* shearing held up for a fortnight, anil that they would capitulate in n month, is also wide of the mark. Fven ii delay is likely at the present- time, u ; would not matter. There is no draper- j ate hurry tt> get wool away to the sale I on account of the surplus’ already on hand, and with the market, rising r little delay might he to the farmers* advantaged*