SHEARERS' SECTION

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 43, 5 January 1912, Page 14

SHEARERS' SECTION

SECRETARY'S NOTE-BOOK.

By M. LARACV.

In Otago and Southland very little .shearing has yet boon done, and the records of tho earnings will be interesting, if they count for anything -.vhon seeking au award from tho Arbitration Court.

On present appearances, shearing should last well into Mardi, and should not bo hard to obtain if tho wither takes up at all.

The. roads nrn, of course., it: keeping with tho woathor, and it is difficult to got about. If they ore not wot and greasy, they are cut up find rough, and in cither case aro difficult and. clai.g-er-ous to got about upon.

There, i* very little call for an. organiser to visit the majority of the sheds, .is tho shod reps are doing splendid work., and o rule they report to tho secretary ot the. union in their district and .secure ti'k'is as i=ooll as a start is madtv.

My work this season was much different to what it was two years ay;o, ,13 iiiomb;Ts generally are- beginning to take a live interest in tho affairs of the Association, here and there you find one of the woodeu class who has not yet realised th' 1 - benefits to bo derived through unionism; but this applies to all distrkts.

Tiie woist place I visit-el is. ti.ij respect was Tapanui, a >sl>epy little village on ihe Ediovalo line, v/here the spirit of unionism appears to bo at 7,-'io. I succeeded in one or two men who may in time b- able to instil some principle into th-H" of their mates who are r.ot prepared t<) do their share in putting u[> a 1u , . , better conditions.

In Millers Flu I mot H.i::y Sparks doiii£ voluntary work v bile slioarinec was tijro'uh bad weather.

J. Weldi, at H-aumoiit. c.v. ; ,l-, 0 1 )C relied upo.'i to d;> u,<ind work, and in Lawrence we have J, oM liattler for tiie cause of l.;.ij)or '.it t 1 person of Jack Yeriion.

At 11.-riot C'!:arl>'y fijri! k i? -irm-'d \vh\i the green Ii;-k'-'s, aH re-O"i\-e ;joo4 sujipiMt fro:n tli-> I'.eriot boys. In pn.ssins twin H''i:ot I met one cocky siieai'T w'lio to take a ticket, but I fin sal-'i/ , si , lie will nhtv a lone hand in tint di-^rict.

I. had i-:> return lion-e from C'.ite, and my work has been takeit m;i '•>;: Mr. .secretary of tl..> t'nion. wliom I f<>'»l co-.iti'lc'-t v. ill give a y;ood account of himself.

A pile of correspond- , nee ruvaito] mo on my return to Chnsfeinird;. and I cau imagine the wrath of some who did not know I was absent at not ipcoivinjr replies io correspondciir. , . U-'Wi'ier, J am inakinn; up for lost iiino-. * * # Any member wanting inforniation .should write to tli" seci'.'-tary or the union in his district, :nid also forward all cash and blocks with unsold tickets lo same. Just here I would like to call attention to the f;ict that a mistake has bc'.-.'ii liiiulo in "The Worker," and to point out that Mr. Win. Cunis the secretary of ihe Otago Siieaivra' Union, and not- Mr. Jones as advertised. * • » I asain appeal to shearers and shed workers to report cast.M where the AcCMiiiiiiodation Ad is not <'oni|)lied •.villi, and al:;o (ho liann.vs ot shii'lu.-rs who iviu.se to join '.-lie Association, while reaping all bi'iiriUc «..>n by iheir lii-.'ie liuinlv eoinr;ide.-i. *' * it Encouraging reports are to hand from all quarters, and a substantia! increase in the membership is expected this season. * • • An amusing par appeared in a southern journal, and was copied in a number of others, regarding; the cost t-o the sheepowni-rs of tuckering the shearers this wet season. The poor backbone afiain, and them looking forward to a record season! 'What about the dependents of those shearers who are waiting to shear tho sheep, and in many cases not making sutlicieut to pay their rent in the cities!- 1 Every day reports roni" to hand of owners who are. ovjidinjj i ii > conditions of the award, and siiil pay los and £1 per week in lieu of '27a Ik! and 3()s !i\ed by Die award. Many employers also expect the shed hands to grub nor.so, etc., while shearing is suspended, and offer nothing extra lur it. The. shed hands have an award wliieh is a noted improvement upon previous eondilioiis. and it is tlteir own fault it they do not benefit by it. T will thank all who have boon paid less than award rates to report same io myself or the union secretaries, when flic. matter will receive attention

Stepa will ho taken in tho nea> future to obtain better conditions for tho mustorers in tho Marlboro ugh district, and steps are now being taken to secure uniform rates and conditions throughout tho Dominion.

I have been having a bad time lately through ill-health, bad roads, and wot weather, but in a few days I hope to bo once more out among tho sheds.

• • • The- fact of the office in Christchurch being closed caused some confusion, but we are getting into our stride again, and I look forward to the time when the wholo of the work will be done from one office. I am confident that this can be done, and with more satisfactory results than under our present svsteni.

There is jio room in our Association -for parochial feeling, .and it matters not where the office is situated, providing that the, business is carried on to the satisfaction and advantage of the members.

Shed representatives are urgently ioqwstivl to send along resolutions as remits for agenda paper to lip discussed nt. the conference, which will be held at Wellington in April.

I wish all members and workers a prosperous New War. and trust that ero it closes wo workers will be all in one. organisation, fighting as we should be against the forces arrayed against us. but which we can break down through industrial and political organisation in one short year.

Shearer' find other workers will regret to hoar that Steve Boreham is in very had health in Dunotlin. Steve has always been a good battler for the workers, and one of the Acts upon the statute book in which lie played an important part in getting there is tin; Shearers' Accommodation Act. AH who know him will look forward to bis speedy recovery.

All members who have not received ballot papers and recorded their votes aro urgently requested to do so.