MR BOREHAM'S VIEWS ON LABOUR LEGISLATION.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 100, 10 September 1901, Page 3

MR BOREHAM'S VIEWS ON LABOUR LEGISLATION.

TO THE EOITOS. Sir,—ln today's A»vh»tisbb I not* acorrespondsnt's report of the Workers' Union meeting at Waihao Downs last Tuesday, and an? a little surprised at th* secretary's (Mr Boreham's) stated reason for holding a sush meeting in (bat district, but suppose it is only the orthodox way of doing such things. I read: —" Mr Boreham <said he had two reasons for choosing Waihao i)ownsaa the place of meeting that •Tsning. The first and moat iua« portant reason was Jfihat during tfhs long time he had worked, off and on, for Mr Douglas ho had never yet heard any complaint from that gentleman's employees as to the wages or the treatment they received" ; and il this be so, where ean be Mr Borer bain's excuse for going there to sow discord and discontent where all before was peace and goodwill ? Mr Douglas, I see, complained that it was just as the farmers were pinched the union i jounced upon them for higher wages, and that when things were booming there was no talk of unions. If (hie -be hia past experience, then it show* still further how little can be said tc the credit of those labour unions, and anyone whose business connection it with, our farmers and settlers car understand; the justness of Mi Dooglas' remarks. Mr Boreham telli *ii that some of the Labour Acti passed were not asked for by tbi labour |»;ty, and that they had no asked for the Workers' Compensatior for Accidents Act, 1900. As Mi Boreham sometimes pridss himself oi being the appointed representative o the Government for the district os labour matters, this must be taken ai an indication that at last all parties an sick of so much labour legislation So mote it be. Mr Boreham follow) Mr Beddoa in stating that the blami for farmers being worried to insw their employees belongs to the agent of the Accident Insurance offices, th Government Included, and if he had, i farm and an agent called, hewooli show him the Mr Seddon in th House of Bepresentatlves ori, Augos HH%{B*natx&, p. 510) says the agent were frightening' farmers into 1 in euranae by law was so «x so, and It.was. he thought, gettin monejr under false pretence* M fteddon does not explain whj, at

meeting of the Council at which be presided orr July 15th, 1901, the Order in Council dated June stb wis altered relating to rates charged for accident inauraaoe by the Government Department, and which alteration is gazetted*on July 18th showing rates charged under Section VIII., farming industries, as— j £ s. d. General employees not otherwise specified (if engaged on hazardous work within meaning of Aot ... 0 10 0 Agricultural machine drivers, feeders and tenders 10 0 Bush -falling 3 10 0 Further comment, I think, is needless.—l am, etc, B. Wightmxk.