Threshing Dispute.

Maoriland Worker, Volume I, Issue 6, 20 February 1911, Page 21 (Supplement)

Threshing Dispute.

Dear Editor, —This week I attended the Arbitration Court at the hearing of the application for interpretation of the Threshing Award. I now ask : Is the Arbitration Court really a Court of Justice of a burlesque pure and simple ? An award for the threshing mill hand was made in the early part of this year, and to the individual who understands " English as she is wrote," even by a Supreme Court Judge, the millowner was compelled to pay the cook. However, the " backbone " rose in all its might and power, and sought a special interpretation of their own—and got it, of course! When did the Court ever fail to favour the "backbone?" Echo answers : When ? One strange part of the decision is that the custom of the past was taken into consideration to such an extent as to make one imagine that former" custom is in itself sufficient to override even Arbitration Court award. It is also Avell to put on record here the " backbone's " classification of the " cook " in the scheme of Nature. The cook, said the

"' backbone,." is part of the food, and, therefore, has to be paid for by the men. How long are the country workers going to tolerate such, an anomaly? The "backbone" advises them to open their mouths and swallow the cook; I advise them to open their eyes and see what are the real aims and objects of the " backbone." Then they will see the necessity of uniting together, and raising their voice against the tribunal which up to the present has absolutely refused to give them justice at all. Country workers and all other workers should, as the outcome of these happenings, keep ever in mind the necessity of the permanent establishment of a strong labour journal, and I trust that they will support " The Maoriland Worker" in the future in a manner that will make it a complete and absolute success as a powerful organ to voice the wishes, and enforce the desires of the whole of the workers of this dominion.—Yours, etc.,

M. LARACY Christchurch, Feb. 18, 1911.