SHEEPOWNERS’ POSITION.
A plain statement of the sheepowners’ position to-day was made by Mr W. S. Glenn (Rangitikei) in the House of Representatives on Thursday night. He stated his own case. The year before last his wool clip was worth £5,300. This year ii cost him £037 to send the wool to England, £4OO for shearing, £IOO to take it to Wanganui and put in on the sailing ship, and he would probably have to pay £1 a bale, so that his year’s work would be for nothing. Mr Hamilton: “There are thousands like you.”
Mr Glenn said he was giving his own ease as an illustration. “I may tell the members of the Labour Party that I have not sacked a man yet. I have told the men that I do not want to reduce wages, but the day must come when I am going to pay them less. We are on a bit of a gamble that if I can get out of the trouble arising from the bad prices of wool, there will be no reduction of wages, provided I am not going to lose too much money. These men are prepared to take reduced wages. They have not any particular union, they ivill work all hours, and you can absolutely trust them to give you a fair and square deal.” Now the position was this —that men came up to shear at Terawhiti station, but they were stopped by the secretary of the Shearers’ Union. It was not the fair thing. He did not blame the Labour Party. There were hundreds of men who were wilfhig to shear, but the secretary of the union was endeavouring to stop them. It was against the law of the land. He did not agree with the award. He thought it was too high, but it was the law.
Mr Glenn said the average shearer was a pretty decent chap, and in all walks of life there were good and bad. “I know (he station next to mine has been stopped, and that today there arc pickets on the Tinakori Road stopping men from going to work. That is the position. Ido not blame the Labour Benches for it, because I am sure, from the speeches I have heard, that they want to see the country do well. Bear in mind that there are men struggling for bread, and butter who are running sheep, and they are right up against. it. If things” don’t mend you will see plenty of bankruptcies. Some have already happened. There is one man who had Iwo sons at the war and thirteen children in all, and he has gone broke. He has no way of paying interest to the companies that financed hint. If,the shearers are going to hold up these men, it is time the Government stepped in. We have a community of farmers who are prepared to run this country if need be. The farmers tire prepared to shear their own sheep, and to amalgamate with their neighbours. If it Lakes months to do it, they do not care. Of course, there are bad employers, .just as there are had agitators, and the bad employer will go to the wall, for lie will not get the decent men to work for him. . . .”
The position was not so bad for some men, but it was very bad for those who had the awful pest, pulawai, on their‘land. They . had t«> shear their sheep at all costs. He hoped reason would prevail. The sheepowners, the hill-men, were up against it, and they would light. He appealed to the Labour Parly, who, lie believed, were anxious to help the country, to give a hand at such a time as this. What was wanted was that, all should do their best (o help the Government.
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Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2339, 8 October 1921, Page 3
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639SHEEPOWNERS’ POSITION. Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2339, 8 October 1921, Page 3
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