The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, JULY 16, 1887. THE. SHEARERS' UNION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1608, 16 July 1887, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, JULY 16, 1887. THE. SHEARERS' UNION.

Just when the country is in the very throes of a general election the shtepfarmers of North Canterbury have met in solemn conplavo and given ns all a clear idea as to what they mean. . They resolved not to employ any members of the Shearers’ Union to shear their sheep or do any kind of work, and also to send to Africa for negro shearers. It flees not appear to us that in this action they were guided by .prudence, patriotism, or the smallest amount of common sense. It is the wildest, the most irrational, and the maddest step that men could possibly lake at such a time, but these people hare been so long accustomed to rule that it would appear they think they can do whatever they like. They think the world was made for sheep, and that sheep were made for them, and that the people are mere machines created solely for their use and profit, It is evident from their very conduct that they are so blinded by self interest that they can see, nothing but what concerns themselves. Just in the very thick of a 1 general election, when their party ,is making screaming appeals to the working men, they do not bestitate to make it public that they intend to import cheap labor from amongst the negro population of Africa. Can they expect after this that any working man will vote for any man who has the remotest connection with them ? No doubt they never thought of this, or if they did they hare been so long accustomed to rule and carry everything their own way, that they believe they can do so still. Now let us see what all this is about. Some months ago a Shearers’ Union was established in New Zealand for the purpose of protecting the interests of shearers. Mr Spence, the President of the Australian Shearers’ Union, lectured on the subject in the various centres of population. We had the pleasure of bearing him, and we must say that we have seldom listened to a more intelligent, reasonable, and dispassionate discourse. He pointed out many grievances which the shearers had, and suggested means of remedying them, but at the same time he warned shearers to be reasonable in their demands, and to giro the greatest consideration to the interests of sheepowners. No man could find fault with anything Mr Spence said, and it does not appear to ns that the Shearers’ Union has since done anything to irritate North Canterbury squatters. The Union held a meeting recently in Oamaru, and agreed to certain rules. They a : so agreed that the price in Canterbury should be 16s 6d per 100 sheep, and in the North Island 20s, These were the prices which existed previous to the formation of the Union, and nothing was done but to resolve not to allow them to get any lower. If the Union had made an effort to raise the price of shear ing, and showed any disposition to treat shaepowners unfairly, we should be the first to denounce it, but it has not done so ; it has in our opinion acted reasonably and moderately, and certainly has not deserved any euch condemnation as that which has emanated from the North Canterbury squatters. But it is not the amount the shearers demand tor their labor that has given offence. The very men who have cried out against the Union hare, we believe, hitherto paid the same price for shearing. This is not what has irritated the slieepfarmers, but the fact that the shearers have formed a union at all. The sheepfftrmers have a right to unite to do anything they like ; the banks, insurance companies, and monopolists generally can form associations for the

protection of their interests, but that the working man should have the audacity to think ef his own interests is altogether too much for the squatters of North Canterbury. Farmers may combine together for their mutual advantage, banks and money-rings may co-operate together to keep up the price of money, the squatters of North Canterbury may nnite to kill rabbits and import negro cheap labor, but the working men must net try to protect their own interests. When Joseph Arch commenced to preach to the working men of England that they should unite tor their mutual benefit, he was denounced as an agitator, and a very pious bishop said ho ought to be doused in a horsepond. It is now as then. W honever a working man attempts to tell the grievances ol his class he is denounced as a loafer and an agitator, and painted in the vilest colors. Why is this ? Why should not working men have as good a right as any other class to look after their own interests? The reason is because other interests desire >to get cheap labor. But this is a selfish and a narrow view to take of things, and w» should like people not to make any mis-

take on this point. Cheap labor means cheap everything except money. Does the farmer get as good prices for his beef and mutton as he used to when wages were higher ? He does not, because the working men have not the means of purchasing beef and mutton now, and consequently their consumption of these articles has been contracted. There is

not half bo much alcoholic liquor consumed now, because the people have not the means of buying it, and it is exactly the cauae which has led to the fail in the price of beef and mutton. Let the farmers remember this : So sure as they have cheap labor the produce of their land must he cheap, because the workim? m"n will not have the money to spend. The cost of Imog must come

down with 'ho price of labor, and h appears to us we should all be much better off ii we could get bettor prices all round. The North Canterbury sheepfnruiers cannot see this, but we trust the puoplo will see it and discountenance such » monstrous proposal as the flooding of the colony with black labor.