SHEARERS' DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 78, 26 December 1907, Page 8

SHEARERS' DISPUTE.

VVELLINQTON UNION'S DEMANDS. ..:.■■ 1274r SHEBP-BARMERS CITED. -;.-...- v ■ " ' •" •"* STATEJIENT BY MR. J. G. WILSON., (BY.'i TELEGBiPU—SrECIAIi COBEESrONDENT.) / ' Masterton, Decembor 24. A hastily-called meeting of Wairarapa shoep-farniers\was held'-hore this afternoon to >considor. : -tne'''doniands' '. of :tho. recentlyformod Industrial ■Union of Workors.' with tho shearing' of, sheep. ~„'""* J,' :. : .- . Thoro. was an' atteujisnce of about eightoon farmers, and Bir, I ,;^.':Perry was voted to tho chair. explained the objects of' the ~niqetin'gry F ' •; A ; .dispute had "Been . filed, ho 1 ' agaiusti 'the/ farmers generally in tho "Woilingtoiir province, and the;Cfpnciliatiqn announced that ■lt^y6'ild^hea'r|;thp^ on January. 13'; Napier, January 15; Palmerston North, -Jimuar-y-1 7 -;-and— Wanganui, January 20. Farmers Cited. '..,.,■.:.... -....-. • Two lengthy Sprinted l lists woro handed in, showing .the:,- names and addresses of those''farmbrs'.wh'o'Jiad been cited.' Following "ai : e the! .flames jof ,'th'e counties particujarispd and;tfe number.of farmers cited in 'each-'districtrj-^Hutt,-'45; 'Featherston, 64; ■South ' ■\Va,irarape ) ": , :"-25;i' Mastorton, 108;' ' PaniatuayEßo; Waimarino, 6; Wanganui, 86;/.WairdaJ'82V : Hawlse's>Bay, 134; Woodv'ille' and' Waipawa,.':..l39; Patangata and .Weber, ;103; Manawatu,- 31; Rahgitikei, 162; Oroua' and- Eairanga, 60; ICiwitea, 62; iHorowhenua, 30'; ~ PqhangLna, 25; Castleptjirit, ,18; ■'. Alcitio, 15; ■ Eketahuna, 10; ;Mauncdnllo;" 14; 'total; 1274. ' Shoarers' Claims, 'v,';],:, : ,'\ ;,'The .domands of th'o'JShoarers ,, .Union were embodied'.in twentyrtlu'eo clauses;• the principal of,-which ..were' to, tho effect, that': — ; Thp-hpurs off shearing should be from 5 > 'a'.in.'-'-'&.,'d ;, 'p.ni.| ; :orynaTf' an hour later in oacli , ' caso,V with' • .intervals for meals, and ." smokos' , . as shall.be, agreed upon between .the,_shed_i.manager;"a , lid 'the shearers' repre"soiitatlveT""Slioaring :to stop at 4,• p.m. on Saturdays,- except in the cage when 48 hours "aiid'-20"minuteb work 'has boon clono before rtodnl'Mn , 'yiso,'work may be ; stopped then.- 'When-shearing-wet ewes "cut-outs" ■to bo-agteod upon , by .'the two :reproseuta,tives.:;.!</-;• '■?-,<*.:■■•■■■>■■ ' .i ■' , : " .' . ~v P rico,of, shearing tOiiho 20s. per hundred, with rations, both for machine and 1 hand shearors. If shoarers ! have to find themselves, the'rate jlb';bei2s."6d.! per hundred extra'. ,^Stud- ; All sheep to'-lie d3gged;''"ra'm"s'''to > 'bd at.double rates. ' Shoarers to bo paid, if they wish, 'weekly up -to' 75 por- conti -of- their. earnings, exchange.on cheques,, if any,' to bo paid by the omployer. Disputes regarding wet sheep to bo settled by a ballot of tho shearers.

' Unless with the; permission of tho manager of the shod, no sheop to be "legged" 'from' ■the',catching"'pen's; , sheep badly cut by tho;shearer,-,to > i.b.P' V nttendod by- himself to •the oxtonV'of^ sewing and. tarring-, the wounds.'a .' '.'■■'■ " " " , ■■''.■'■ Tho employer to find grazing for ohe. horse for each shoaror, and. also one grindstone to ovory/.,eij;ht / ._shearers l ; .further machinery, and'- oil-' \whero-' ; machjries' aro'. used: Tho shearer, to pay for■'. his own , combs and* cut-tors-at cost "price. .'.Shearers \to bo supplied .with sufficient.food.of.good quality, including bu'tter.tandp'jam." XTho shearers ■ .diningroom to be '' lighted each ovening till 9 'ojolocfc. , ■ ' ; ■ ."■■" .: ...'•■■ :'■ Shearers absenting ,themselves , from, work without leave,, .or bringing .intoxicants on fin. the station," ..may be 1 treated by tho em plbyeras : having committed a breach of the .agreement. No -■.discrimination to bo use.i between union and non-union men; botn to work' together." in. , harmony and at equal rates of pay.- One learner/to every ten or fraction A 6f'ten' 'cbmpeterit shearers. Statement by Mr. J. C Wilson. The following statoment was read' vroni Mr..; J. : G.,' Wilson, .Wellington '-Provincial President 'of tlie Now Zealand Farmers' Union:— •' • ' ■''.. ' . -•■■•"When';tiie_ Union'-' Was formed disputes -with : .workers in connection with' agricultural tahd;,pastoral;,pursuits i.were not contemplated, and, theroforc, it was never anticipated that the Winners' Union could be drawn into one. . Without registering as an industrial ■union' 'they can,'-however, take upon, themselves the whole arrangement of the caso, as.lias;-b'een'.dpneiin;Canterbury. .'■■■._ , .- "Thero is this difference*in'the , two oases in our "-pfesent-dispute, namely:—lt has been tiled in office of the' Conciliation Board;' in tho -Canterbury case it was filed in the Ar-.bitration-Gourt,-~aiid deferred by that pourt to the Conciliation Board to take evidence. 'So .'the' caso had to" b'o' taken there.'or,.else go by default. In the Otago arid Southland the, omplpycrs did not appear-beforo'tho •.Conciliation' Court, but said tney'would; appear'before the Arbitration' Court; "'.' '"■ '•"'".'..;•'• ■'■ :,

"It is obvious that.oji^f'organisation forms the- best moans of; uniting the agricultural ,and pastoral employers and"'to..make a counter move; and I should adviso (pending tho decision of the.Executive, who have not yet met to, consider tlic:'question), that wo appear .;at the first ninpting of the Conciliation Board and Estate that wo entirely, object to tho Conciliation Board as a tribunal, some of ij^Kich , have fostered, as 'far as- lay in their .power; disputes of a similar nature, and in the case' of tho shearers ono.i.member has,,been the prime mover.

i r-cah.'arrangfa..that we should bo repre■sont.etl 'atvtha';firs^ ; nieeting (and- all meet■ingSp'if' statemont mado ■that' n&t''intend to appear before the' COnciliatipn;;floard," but will do so wheiv the-case: cpmes,::be'foro the Arbitration - .'! ; ■_' of a con:'sjdorabje".'amount;'.of;.!.n!ciney',' and tlio funds for this pur"posri"." 'As in the case of other .districts, the sheep-farmers liavo subscribed, and funds havo been provided for-the'special purposb of, appearing in these disputes. "1 would therefore appeal to all sheepowners to subscribe for this ' purposo, according to tho number of sheep they have. Tho sheep tax has been abolished, chiefly through" our offorts, and the-money might welhba spent in .defending apriculturists and pastoralists in this and similar disputes. "It will .bo seen that the dispute is upon us immediately, and action mijst be taken at once, so that a meeting of the Branch !should...'be s held, and-active mean? taken to provide, the, special/.fund..to. fight' the ques' tion. I therefore appeal to one and all to •assist."-, ■. ... •; , ■.■■'" .. : if discussed in committee by thoso present, and it was resolved genorally to support Mr. Wilson's proposals, and' to allow the New Zealand Farmers' '.Uhion;'t6.'x6riduct.';the.;'caso on behalf of tho farmers:-::frhe' questiqn-'Was raised whether this procedurq might iiot; injure'a number of. farmers-wlio were she'arers. It was pointed out, as the. experience, of thoso present, and also'-'of pth'or',farmers ; ''all' over the country, thatJ-tho'i'sJiparers-hatl usually, made their own -'torms? without recourse to any outside fnteVferonco. ."It was'understood by a number of those at tho meeting that the present proceedings wero the outcomo of an agitation on the part of a member of a Concilia-tibn-BPard;' ffhpse uttorances havo been rcg'a'rded unconciliatory. ■ . . . -. 'j;ho meeting decided :to form a sub-com-mittee to: watch thp •interests of. tho district and to report at a future meeting. '

: Messrs.' Lapry' aiid Co:. Ltd.; Wellington, report', wholesale-prices■ ruling' on the market :— Milling" wheat; Os'.- 2d.;. fowls', ss. lid.; oats, 3s. 9A. to 45.; maize, 4s. 9d. to 55.; crushed malt, Bs.; prussinn blue peas, Gs. Gd.; fowl peas 4s. Cd. to 4s. fld.; all at per bushel. Flour, Now' Zealand, .£l2; Australian, .£l3 155.; pollard ! £ti iOs. to M-'iSs.; bran, ■'■Jα 10s. to ,£5 15s.;' pearl ilfl; split peas, 418 10s;; beanmeal, 155.; bonedust, £C>; suporphosphates, £i 15s. to 55.;" chaff, oatenshcaf, £7; oatmeal, £11. New : potatoes, '10s. to 15s. per cwt. Bacon, factory, sidos, Bd.'; hams, BJd. to 9d.; rolls, 'BJd.'; butter, bulk pastry, 7d. to Bd. Poultry, hens, 2s. Gd. to 35.; ducks, ss. to Gs. r turkeys,, gobblers, 153. to 225.; hens, Bs. to 95.; all at per pair. Cauliflowers, Js. to 95.; cabbages, 2e..t0 Gs.; all at per sack; green peas, 9d.'to Is. per peel;; fresh eggs, Is. 2d. to Is. 3d. per dozen; cheese, factory, (ijd. per lb.; onions, £9 to '.£lO per ton.