THRESHERS' DISPUTE.

Maoriland Worker, Volume I, Issue 8, 20 April 1911, Page 17

THRESHERS' DISPU TE.

Dear "Worker," —We might have knoAAii that Avlien there was to be an interpretation of our AAvard that Judge Sim AAould be on the side of the e\'ery time. Still, these things help to nake the quidnuncs Junk. I am glad to say every man on this mill Oliver a) has taken a union ticket —cook and. engine driver as Avell. it seems to mc tlie stackman on a. tiiresliiiig mill has a. particularly liar a time of it—most woi'K and least pay. He is aiAA-ays subject to abuse, more so iroui the cocky when stook threshing m on —not stipulated in award, under the old rules one stackman has to go on one of the four drays and the cocKy sends the other three men, who have i.io particular time for starting in the morning; sometimes mill hands are kept Avaiting a couple of hours or more. Sometimes bands are sent to do other Avork, and often only tAVO men are left in a paddock battling AA'ith three drays to keep the mill going. There is not much but hard Avork m threshing for t'iie stackman — especially in stook threshing. VVe came across one cocky wlio left his stuff lying on the ground not stooked at all. It's a Avay he has of making those aa-lio thresh for him work harder and incidentally save money for liiiiiself. It is a great pity there is not a paid organiser to come round to the ditterent mills. I feel confident that, alter explaining the matter to those Aviio don't properly understand the situation, he could secure a lot of neAv memoers. —1 am, etc., PAX. FREEMAN.