DROVERS' DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 240, 3 July 1908, Page 4

DROVERS' DISPUTE.

MEETING,AT HASTINGS. : (BT TELEGEATH.—SrECIAL OOnBESPONDENT.) ...:- . > ' Hastings,, July 2. ; . Tweiity-eight drovers assembled i in, •- thsi Grand Hotel, Hastings,'last evening for the ; .of. Kenneth' Scott,' delegate from tho Wairarapa Drovers' and Shep- .; herds' . Union, and to hear' his statements. \ regarding tho . dispute. :.betTveen .. tho cm-. ■;ployers a/idhis.: Union' in . Slasterton. '.'Mr? ■; Scott stated that in _ ths. Wairarapa the / .meat companies were'giving' the drovers 10s.' : s day an<T their expenses, whilst the auctioneers" were -giving 17s. 6:1. and " find yourself." This meant : that the meat- eompaii- ■ ies wero. offering better terras. than tho auctioneers,. because at the present "rate of living at' hotels it' cost (man, horse, and dogs) lis. 6d. a day,.leaving :thoin GsV'for them-' Behes. On mooting tho employers in conference, the Union '21s. 6d. a day and . find themselves, ,but;tho employers declined 'to.consider.them as a. Union, whilst avowing : every , d&siro to consider .tlioir-. individual .. grievances or even thoir grievances as a body, if they wero put forward apart from being ,an organised .Union,. Tho employers woulu not meet the drovers as a union, and tho .• •drovers declined to treat ,on .any other terms.: • Tho drovers held • a ' meeting .■subsequently,and decided to meet the situatisiftby asking' : 2Ss. ; a day,. which.. was : only a'"living wage/ . and referring the matter to the 'Conciliation". BoartL ; Tho Conciliation Board''was , dated! • ; . to sit in ;Ha'stings' on . July .;17, mid' he did not: ' come to ask'.'thom to join-a-.iraiorij-.-lmt'-W'aW ':. : -pe^rf'.:%r»;their K sympathy,i;Thessr;d6mwiaß : . . wore reasonable,'ras" a drovers'; plant;'';jiorsc,' - dogs, etc., cost him £50, and every man'."was ~ entitled .t0,.103: :a';.dav and expenses 10s; ' ■ -Mr.. W. Black'saiu Ithe drovers of 'this dis-:, : ,'trict .wer.e well satisfied - with the treatment'. : extended '.'■ to them by Employers; even : injj : this bad year, and why-shoii'.d they join a-, union when they 'had no. gncvancc." i;' : -Mr. Scott again'explained that'lie' did not ; . .ssk them to join .a union. . Mr. Hunt (chairman) said; it appeared to- , him that the essence of the position was that , tho: Conciliation Board wai to hold its sit- :• ■ tings in; Hastings; where'tho drovers' had no grievances, l : and consequently had no wish to' .. get . mixed up : in tho >Vairarapa dispute.' 'He' y considered it was most uncalled for to hold; the sittings in.Hastings. , On, the-motion of- Mr. Maroney it was resolved, "'That a ! meeting of , the., Hastings drovers be held previous to th-a sitting of the : Board, for the purpose of deciding what' attitude they, would assumed . .