FREE LABOURERS AT WORK

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14661, 9 May 1913, Page 8

FREE LABOURERS AT WORK

FARMERS AND BUSINESS MEN LOADING MEAT.

A FINE DAY'S WORK

(special to "the phsss.")

TIMARU, May S

If Timaru had been bombarded, it could hardly have awakened a more lively interest than that which has been aroused by the action of the freezing works butchers in striking, and the support since accorded them by the waterside workers. The strike was practically tho sole topic of conversation in Timaru yesterday, but so far from being doleful about it, employers appeared to rather relish tho opportunity afforded them of showing that no man or body of men is indispensable, as a good supply of butchers was offering for the freezing works.

Attention was mainly directed yesterday to the loading of tho Shaw, Savill and Albion Company's big steamship, the Zealandic. Work started on board with free labour at 8 a.m., and proceeded without interruption all day with the aid of a heterogeneous collection of free labourers, who worked enthusiastically and well, and put up a fine record for the day. Their work, considering that they had had no previous experience of it, was remarkably good, and was got through in. better time than that put up in the ordinary way. Vans of frozen meat were being sent in from Smithfield all day, and were loaded into the ship without interruption of any kind. The usual time taken to unload the big meat vans is ono hour, but yesterday the free laboureis were discharging the vans in 19 and 20 minutes each.

News was sent abroad on Wednesday that assistance from the country would bo acceptable, and the call to mutton loading met with a very prompt response. Elderly men, middle-aged men, and young men, men of means, and men without means, ordinary working farmers, retired farmers, farm overseers, stock buyers, drovers, mill hands, and representatives of all callings, came into town from North and South, somo on horseback, some by train, and somo by motor-car. Out of the many offering, eighty were chosen, and they looked a fine body of men as they trooped off the ship at dinner time, dust begrimed, and with soiled hands and clothes, but with cheerful countenances, to go up town for their dinner. Tho workers came from many miles out of Timaru, one man, a sheepfarmer, coming all the way up from Otekaike in the Oamaru district. The wealthy squatter and the ploughman took their places side by side, and toiled together as to the manner born. So anxious were some of tho country men to be at it that ono party left Fairlie in a motor car at 4 o'clock yesterday morning, and had a good' long wait for tho vessel to start work at eight. Those offering wero by no means confined to land owners. Tlie president of tho A. and P. Association (Mr Melville Jameson), set an example to fanners, if ono was needed, and stripped to the shirt he handled carcases on the trucks all day. Tho president of tlie Farmers' Union (Mr John Talbot) was represented by three of his eons, including Mr C. J. Talbot, president of tho Fairlie branch of the Farmers' Union, who only got word on his farm at.Fairlio in time* to enable him to catch tho train that morning. Some of the men on the ship refused to. work the winches, a job which requires a certain amount of skill and knowledge of machinery. Difficulties, •however, wero only made to be overcomo, according to the ideas of yesterday's gang of "free labourers, and this ono was very soon settled. "Who is that at the winch?" asked someone. "Oh, that •is Air D. A. Morgan, ono of the meat buyers." came the reply, and so it proved, Air Aforgan being the holder of an enginedriver's certificate. "And who is at tho other winch?" "Oh that is Mr Norman Marchant of HalKand Alarchant, architects." And so every place was filled by men who, if they know nothing about the work, could do it as well as if they knew all about it. They said they meant to make it clear -that watersido workers have not a monopoly of brains and muscleThe farmer from Otekaike. who is worldng on tho boat, was prompted to offer his services because of the great inconvenience and loss to which he has been put owing to the strike. He had a big lot of fat sh"ep on hand, and sent them np to bo ' ' 'od, only to find when he got them . ..-re that it was too risky to put them through the works. So he took them home again, and now he says it will take him tlireo weeks to get them back into their former condition. Air P. C. Webb, President of the Federation of Labour, did not return to* Timaru yesterday, as it was expected he would do. The waterside workers held a conference in the afternoon, but it was not open to tho Press. Some members of tho crew of the Zealandic resented the presence of fre© labourers on board, and they expressed their dissent in various ways. One member of tho. crew made himself so objectionable, while under the influence of liquor, that the polico wero sent for to remove him. Before they arrived, however, the man fell down one of the holds of tho vessel, and instead of being taken to the lock-up, ho had to be removed to the hospital. Another member of tho crew, who was sober, deliberately upset the full dinner plate of a free labourer, as a means of showing his resentment. The man was reported and ho will probably repent his action-