FARMERS "CREATING TROUBLE FOR THEMSELVES."

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 92, 20 December 1912, Page 4

FARMERS "CREATING TROUBLE FOR THEMSELVES."

INTERVIEW WITH THE FEDERA-

TION PRESIDENT.

Mr. P. C. AVebb, speaking on December 9 to a reporter of a Timaru paper on the trouble, stated that the men were ''not afraid of the cookies and their sons coming in from the country to work the boats, as stated in the newspapers. If |the farmers allowed that hostile attitude towards the water-: side workers they would be only creating trouble for themselves, because when they worked the boats they would have to go back and shear their own sheep, as the shearers, being members of the Federation of Labor, would go out in sympathy with tha waterside workers. The Federation has had no quarrel with the farmers, and we don't believe many of the farmers' sons would do what is suggested. It is mere newspaper talk."

"AYe insist," said Mr. Webb, "on having discipline among our workers, for it is impossible for any organisation to grow and develop unless we have discipline therein." The Timaru men had not struck with the authority of the Federation of Labor. They took the responsibility on themselves, and that course was not endorsed by the Federation. When the position was explained to the waterside workers they agreed that the stand taken by the Federation to uphold discipline was the proper and correct thing to do. They almost unanimously decided to endorse tho recommendation of the Federation to immediately resume work on the same conditions as prevailed prior to the trouble, and so far as the Timaru strike is concerned it has now ended. The boats will be worked as usual, and I sincerely hope this wijl be the last of a very serious trouble." "The press has stated," continued Mr. Webb, "that the Federation of Labor was afraid to fight owing to the fight at AVaihi. No such thing ever entered our minds. As far as the Waihi strike was concerned, the Fed? eratiou can say it has been the greatest and cleanest fight put up in Australasia for many years. What the Federation objects to is the minority trying to rule the majority. AA 7 e hold that where the majority rules the minority must obey that rule, otherwise there will be trouble. If the minority had not tried to rule the majority at AVaihi there would never have been any trouble. Tho fight at Waihi has been a grand fight. The Federation is not out for strikes, but it is out for fair-play. AYe hold that the working-class man has an inherent right to say at what price he will sell his labor. The Federation will put up as big a national fight as it did a sectional one in AVaihi, and we are to-day stronger than when the fight at Waihi commenced seven months ago. The Government and tho authorities are responsible for the outrageous action of tho police and the blacklegs."