SECRETARY'S NOTE-BOOK.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 32, 13 October 1911, Page 7

SECRETARY'S NOTE-BOOK.

By M. LARACY.

Once more the shearers are getting on the move, and during the past Aveek a large number have visited the office Already shorn sheep can be seen in isolated cases, but not much shearing, will be done inside of three weeks from present date, and, of course, shearing will not be general in Canterbury until after Carnival Week. It has been reported that some sheepowners in Canterbury are offering shed hands less than the award rate granted in Wellington, Avhich has been agreed to as; a Dominion rate. Although the parties have agreed to this, the agreement (owing to the cumbersome procedure to be adopted) has not yet been made an award. It will be interesting to note" which employers' endeavour to take advantage of this loophole. I venture to say it will be those who fight the Union the hardest who will do so. W 7 e hope, however, to have the award made to apply to Canterbury and Otago before shearing is in full swing. The consignment of shears are not yet to hand, but are expected to arrive during the next fortnight. Mr. Jackson, manager for the Trades Unionists' Shear Co-operative Society, informs mc that they had oases of stuff lying in London and Sheffield at their own risk for over eight weeks. He states that the carters who have been on strike have tipped-up many carts which were full of coal, vegetables, milk, etc., and in a number of cases have taken the horses out of the carts and sent the carters back to the stables with the horses only. Men looking for employment are continually calling at the office in Christchurch, and it is surprising to note the number out of work at the present time. Why cannot the workers who are out be engaged through the Union offices instead of through the registry offices, where jobs are sold at the present time? We have in Dunedin a labor agent who is willing to place shearers and shed hands free of charge, providing that they are members of our Association. A determined effort must be made by the workers of this country to abolish the system of trucking in jobs and I for one trust that in the near future this will be done. No individual should have to pay for the right to be allowed to work in a country that is shrieking for assisted immigration and where labor is supposed to be scarce.