The hobbit dispute and the Machiavellian Simon Whipp has parallels to me with the wide-comb dispute in the Oz shearing industry of some years ago - pitting Oz shearers against NZ shearers, if anyone remembers that. My sister was rousying in a shearing gang in the '80s, hence we followed the dispute.

A fascinating history is here http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/lab/90/omalley.html