"CLASS LEGISLATION"
(To the Editor) Sir,—“King Henry V’s” latest attempt to get out of his awkward position compels him to make the excuse that I have misquoted him. That is definitely incorrect. I have all of his letters-' in front of me now. He cannot bluff me out of this discussion by trying to put that poor reply as a reason for his failure to support his own case. Perhaps he has burnt his letters and is not in touch with what he has previously written. If I had unjustly attacked one section of the community, as he has done, I would have burnt mine, too.
He denies that he is connected with party politics. We all realise that he is not connected with the i present political party. He also states that he hates class legislation. That will be taken with a spoonful of salt. I will now ask him to refer to his first letter. It will prove that he definitely does believe in it, and looks on it as the only way when dealing with labour. Here are his own words: “Cannot the Minister concerned place all these discontents and money spinners at high wages on a military basis, and give them soldiers’ pay and conditions?” “King Henry V” was referring to - watersiders and freezing works employees when he said that. He hates class legislation, does he? What a colossal joke—soldiers’ pay of 7s a day! He will not say one word against the big man with his “get in and help yourself” policy. I previously mentioned two big freezing companies and the big rake-offs which they participated in—that is, the shareholders, of course. In one case there was a dividend of 38 per cent for the shareholders, and the usual dividend for the employees. The other company came to a decision to do something with its bulky reserves of wealth. It gave to each i shareholder shares to the value of I four extra for each share previously i held. Later the shareholders got i their original share money back. I They now have four times as many i free shares as they had in the first : place. I “King Henry” would not comment lon that. He hates class legislation. I invited him to say something about the big scandal in Australia over the military boots contract. In my pre- ! vious letter I asked “King Henry V” to leave our workers alone for the I moment and say something about those profiteers. That was surely reasonable, but it was too much to expect from “King Henry V.” He had written in his first letter that Australia was concerned about us. He did not say in what way. I suggest that it was not concerned to | the same degree as those poor Aussie sojdiers would have been on the | trek across the sands to Libya with | their soleless boots issued by soul- • less vested interests. I ask “King ’ Henry ” again. Will he dodge the question a second time and prove his words regarding class tion? —I am. etc., RETIRED PUBLIC SERVANT. Hamilton, March 17.
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Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21374, 19 March 1941, Page 7
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601"CLASS LEGISLATION" Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21374, 19 March 1941, Page 7
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