Waikato Whispers.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 78, 6 September 1912, Page 1

Waikato Whispers.

Huntly Enginedrivers and

Firemen.

OVERLAPPING OF UNIONS.

Huntly and Engine-drivers.

The throbbing of the engines, the shrieking of the screens, the whistling of the locos, beside a flowing stream tell a tale of work, work, work.

Huntly is a busy hive of industry, but the majority of its toilers are buried in gloomy darkness for eight hours daily, whenthe sun is at its best. Coal has been called "bottled sunshine," but any coalininer would prefer the draught to the bottled any day. No one appreciates the sun more than a miner. Few toilers get less.

A fairly lively meeting took place in Huntly on tho 17th inst. Two of the Ohinemuri engine-drivers visited tho town, ostensibly for the purpose of forming a branch of their union among the engine-drivers and firemen here. The section opposed to such a proceeding obtained an engine-driver member of the Waihi Miners' Union to address the same meeting. The meeting did not approve of a new union being formed.

ENGINE-DRIVERS AND FIREMEN WERE THE ONLY ATTENDANTS AT THE MEETING. Why engine-drivers and firemen should want a union on their own is a trifle puzzling to mc. Say all the various callings wanted a union of their own, there would be 14 unions for underground and 12 unions for surface employees. What a picnio under arbitration —each union obtaining an award. Eighteen months ago employers were deploring the multiciplicity of awards for one industry. How much would a mine manager's job be worth if he had to observe 26 awards? Town Board. The union has decided to run a ticket for the Town Board election in September, and has chosen T. H. Marshall, W. George, R. Cummings, A. Turton, and C. F. W T atson, out of 11 nominees, for the ticket. The selection war by ballot, the election will be also. Let those who have selected the five vote for tho five and the five will be elected. Our Hall and Law.

Our lives seem compassed around by laws and red tape. We build a hall, we can only own the hall by law. To own the hall we build we conform to the law. Conforming to law tangles us up with red tape—red tapo means "taihoa." Wait, sweat, swear, ugh! "The law's an ass," and red tapo is ros driving gear. When will the hall be opened? When we donkeys get our blinkers on and take a straight tick at the ass. Anti-Conscripts. Thursday, tho 22nd ultimo, saw the anti-conscript "criminals'" return — they had done a month. When legislators legislate wholesale they create criminals wholesale. Law creates crime. Compulsory servitude is distasteful to a true-born Britisher or any true-born man. Yet New Zealand legislators make laws that tho Motherland trembles to touch. The child bums its fingers with the fire, and the great kids in Wellington who compelled the true kids of the Dominion to become soldiers whether they want to or not will find their fingers more than scorched some day. A welcome social will have been tendered to the Huntly Defence criminals ere this is in print. Brevities. The mines i c working veiy regularly here, and is no lack el employment for those employed. The work of our union and its kindred societies is growing apace, hence the need of a revision of the work. H. Fitzgerald visited us on August 24, speaking in the open air to a good audience. On Sunday night, 25th., he addressed a good house in tho Masonic Hall, taking as his subject "Direct and Political Action." He certainly made out a good case, but not quite convincing enough for some of us. Question time brought out some salient points. Life flows on, our minds flow swifter sure. We fain would seek to ope the door of future With a key that failed us oft before. One key we hold as workers, and one only— 'Tis organise, yes organise, that we may rise And make the future bright. BRUIT.