Front cover of sixth form project by Simon Shuker.

The flaxworkers union was active in opposing conscription jn 1916, then the union turned to cost of living problems and used direct action at Rangitane in 1916, and Miranui in 1917 to secure wage increases. The union had generally good industrial relations, and, although sympathetic, didn't become as involved as some as the more militant unions in the industrial unrest of 1913.

The main complaint by the flaxworkers was their living conditions, which were so primitive - often with no wash basins or lavatory facilities, and streams and rivers being used for all purposes, including providing drinking water - it was just a matter of time before there would be an outbreak of typhoid, which did happen, in 1912. However, the regulations regarding living conditions were strengthened, and came completely into effect by 1915.

Although the flax industry was considered a necessary industry, and jobs were protected, World War One caused quite a big labour shortage, with many flax workers going overseas. The labour shortage was never extreme enough to close any mills, not even the ones with only one flax-stripper, but it did make it harder going.

The labour shortage also affected farms, with many sons who used to help around the farm going off to war. Once again there was never a critical shortage, with farmers being exempt if they were necessary to the running of the farm.

The Shannon Rugby Footfall Club was formed in 1899, and is one of the oldest in the Horowhenenua Rugby Union. Games were originally played on land above the domain, until it was needed for housing, then the games were played at the racecourse until the domain was able to be used, in 1912. Rugby was greatly enjoyed, and every year there was annual social match between teams called Ballance Street and Plimmer Terrace, which were supported by the two hotels. The Shannon Rugby Club also often had fixtures against teams from the flax mills around the area.

In 1914 the junior Shannon rugby team won the Horowhenua Rugby Championship for the first time, but rugby in Shannon in the 1915-1918 seasons was severely curtailed because of the war, although a few games were played. On June 19, 1915, the Shannon Committee organised a football match, Town v. Country, at the Domain as a further means of raising money for the Patriotic Funl. The game ended in a three-all draw.

When I first started looking at Shannon, I especially looked at the Rugby to see if the disruption of the team would be a good illustration of the great effect of the war, as had happened in so many other places. This did happen, but not to such a large extent as I had expected. Although several did go to war, the nature of others' occupations prevented them going.

In my reading, I found that in other areas, the war had a much greater impact on sport. One man from Whangarei said that he "volunteered immediately because I knew all my mates would. My mates were all rugby men". Another when remembering the war said "I liked going to the annual territorial camps in the same gray I enjoyed my sports, hockey and rowing. I found an old hockey club photograph, taken before the war, the other day. When I looked at it, I realised how many of us had gone off to war and how many killed. The Wanganui Rowing Club just about went out of existence because of the war".

The war also affected other activities in town. There was a debating society, started in 1910, which was going very well in Shannon, with a keen following and often mentioned in the paper, but it ended in 1915 because of the war.

Another local group which was stopped by the war, was the Shannon Band, a brass band which had managed to get going because they had finally acquired a conductor, when the war ended the band's short career.

There were also various events during the war which were used to raise money for the Patriotic Fund. One popular way to do this, was to hold concerts, for which there was no lack of local talent, with entertainers ranging from cornet players to recitations.

Left: Shannon Cricket Club 1912 - 1913 Winners of the Hugh Hall Shield.

Those appearing in the photograph are from left to right:- Back Row: C Turner, A L Monteith (Secretary), D Harris, E J King (Treasurer), R Swan, A Jillett, N Butterworth. Middle Row: L Randall, J Butterworth (Vice-Captain), W Tremewan (Captain), G Judd, J Doldge.
Front: O Hensman and R Terry (Scorer).

Left: Photograph (taken about 1918) of the Shannon branch of the Bank of New Zealand building, constructed in 1913.

Even before the war, better pay, housing, and opportunities in the city had created a nation-wide shortage of rural labour. The war aggravated this situation. This was coped with by helping each other more, relying on family labour, schoolboys, or other townspeople, prolonging the harvest season, accelerating the introduction of milking machines, and simply working longer hours.

By late 1915, rural communities were already having to decide between volunteers and production, causing the rate of enlistment to drop.

When conscription arrived in June 1916, it was not greeted with wholesale enthusiasm by farmers. Although it did mean that people from cities sent more men overseas - a long standing bone of contention - farmers were not usually exempt. What made this worse was that miners, slaughtermen and shearers, whom they considered less skilled, essential or loyal, all enjoyed apparently routine exemption. In February 1917, the Farmers' Union demanded exemption for farmers, especially the last men on farms.

Since conscription had started, farmers had been careful to emphasise that they only wanted what was "best in the interests of the Empire", which was the maintenance of production. They argued that the loss of labour had already caused many farmers back in production, and conscripting more farm workers

would make them reduce production even more, while conscripting the farmers themselves would lead to complete failure. Although they could supposedly find farm managers, who took over from a farmer, many farms could not house or afford a manager, and it was recognised that the farm would do worse under a manager than under the original farmer.

The Conscription Boards however, paid little attention to the claims or arguments. They thought it more important to send soldiers than keep up production. They were not convinced that rural conscription had increased a rural labour shortage, or even that there was one. Urban newspapers took an equally jaundiced view. The Evening Post alleged "meanness and selfishness", and the Freelance dismissed farmer's claims as "Bunkum".

It was not until 1917, after the farmer's pleas, that Mr Allen acted by creating a National Efficiency Board to help formulate policies applying to production, arid who, on March 16, said that it was not government policy to force a farmer to sell his farm, and that if it couldn't be managed in his absence, he should be exempted. Most Boards welcomed and adhered to these, and other policy statements, and farmers' organisations noted and appreciated the changes.

The main rural discontent was then centered on Boards who seemed to be ignoring the Efficiency Board's directives, and there were complaints that the Boards were a "law unto themselves". For the most part however, rural discontent had died down.

This photo of the Shannon Senior (Rugby) Team of 1921 was already in Kete Horowhenua as part of the Horowhenua Historical Society's collection of photographs.

Names of the team members have been added thanks to a 1989 sixth form certificate project by Simon Shuker: World War One and It's Effect on Shannon: (unfortunately the names are not clear on the photocopy we have!)

Back Row: Gustifson, W. Moynihan, R. Sands, T. Kohika, W. Marshall, R. Moynihan, J. Hennessey. [Tahini], H. Hardle, W. Miro, J. Bovis, T, Moynihan, T.Dalziell. ...

Bottom Row: ... T. Knudson, P. Engle, K. Kelly, G. Wilkinson