SHEARERS' SECTION

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 78, 6 September 1912, Page 7

SHEARERS' SECTION

SECRETARY'S NOTE-BOOK.

By M. LARACY.

WITH THE FLAXIES

RAILWAY AGITATION

IN MASTERTON AND OTHER

PLACES

Boarding the Auckland mail on the 20th ult., *I had a pleasant run to Palmerston North, in which town 1 spent two hours seeking for a suitable agent for the Shearers' Association and battling for tho paper.

I met a number of ftaxinill hands. What a fine lot of fellows they are !— typical bushmen of the old school, always ready to share their Inst shilling with a friend. I was proud to think that when we were thoroughly organised in our various departments those flaxies would be in with the shearers and agricultural and pastoral workers.

I boarded the Wanganui-bound train at 4.40, reaching that city at 9 p.m. Here I was met by one of our best battlers, Alex. MeLeod. whose jovial face it is always a pleasure to see. Alick at one time did good work organising on the plains of Riverina and in Victoria, and this season will once more be in harness in New Zealand.

Here, too, I met another of our old members, Tom Mills, oC Marlborough, who has taken over the Commercial Hotel. Last season Mills gave mc valuable assistance when I was organising in the -Waitotara district.

I succeeded in arousing a fair amount of interest in'The Worker, and I expect to see a few notes from Wanganui in future issues of the journal.

I returned to Wellington on Friday, and Saturday found mc once more aboard the rattler, bound for Tenui, through Masterton. I held a meeting in the latter place on Saturday night, and Monday fourid mc doing likewise at Tenui.

In Masterton I found that The Worker was not going as it should do, and 1 received promises of support from a large number of old subscribers who had ceased to read it. Advertisers must be supported, and we should all be subscribers.

Tho coach ride to Tenui, 30 miles from Masterton, is through beautiful country, but like many other places in New Zealand is conspicuous by the scarcity of homesteads, and evidence of land monopoly exists on every hand. At the present time the settlers and wool kings are agitating for a railway from Masterton to Waipukurau. There is no doubt that this line would open up some beautiful country, but should the Government grant it it should first resume the land at present valuation. It should be cut up in blocks from 100 to 1000 acres in a way which would allow of men prepared to work on the construction of the line having a chance in the ballot.

Should the line go through without this being done it will mean £60,000 or £70,000 increase in the value of some of the properties owned by the wool kings. Further, will our children not in a few years be doing that which we are doing to-day—buying back that birthright of our children which should never have passed away from the Crown ? • • . • With all due respect to those who are at present in possession, of the land, we must get down to bedrock and fight in the interests of the people as a whole. Should that line go through, and land along the proposed, route be resumed by the Government, then the people of this country will be robbed again, as was the case on the line to Cheviot. • # • Stud shearing will be going on in a number of places in the north by the time this appears in print if the weather remains as at present. Lambing is becoming general, and judging from present appearances, the percentage in most cases should be above the average. • » # ! I reached Wellington on August 28, and the office in Queen's Chambers will be open daily until the shearing season is at an end. • * * I again remind members that all busii ness is being dealt with through tho head office. Shears, combs and cutters, also tickets, will be forwarded to any address in New Zealand by return mail. c • • Members when travelling should notify mc of places where no agent has been appointed and where one can be secured. A list of agents will be published in a later issue. s * « j Notes suitable for this page will be I thankfully received.