THE SLAUGHTERMEN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 715, 14 January 1910, Page 6

THE SLAUGHTERMEN.

. ' EMPLOYERS CONFER TO-DAY. '. SLOW KILLING- AT. THE WORKS. Lt ; The-Conciliation- Council. ' ; which has j l)een"set .up to deal with: the local q. slaughtering dispute, { is;-'still in a" state j- oi' suspended , animatioin. , "Its adjournment; will probably enable it"to take account; of developments' {noiably s at Christchurchj.' where the 'results 1 of j- the conferenco hold'in'camera ;last'Tues- • day between representatives -of tiie ;■ meat 5, companies "operating 'iu : :Canterbury and ! their., omployees. may prove to be of imt portance. :Th'e ;!,council, 'n<ay . also have j . peforo.:it,'-{ when;;,it resumes, to-morrow, -{ tJie de'cisTons' of a confercnce .' of _em- '• iployees which" : *wili .he;' held. in;' Welling-vfenvtb-dny. ; It is expected that all,- the e. principal ' ...meat".-.. freezing • ■ companies ' Ithroiighout-. the > Dominion. will be irepreajnted, at tho'gathering.' ' , - It'is stated that, even ,if the local ernployers concede tho 255.'.a hundred-and t the: : 8, a.m.';to "5 : p.m. r ,day,; it does -not 3 not' follow that the •..men'., mil-, continue :• . working.' ; They - regard . the .dispute- as I a federation, not -, ai,.union, affair, iahd I may theroiore take the stand that no • union ' shall; bo . content - with ! the granting of. the demands unless .they. ! are granted to all.. .' ,' ;" " ■ '{{In 1 the meantime, it is stated on inde- ' pendent and reliable - authority, . ■ that 1 work has been progressing-"•very ' slowly during,:the last few days, :and'.there.:has been a ; substantial falling-off' in the 'daily . output,', As' far' as the actual ,wageS'" of 1 tile si audi term en are : concerned, this ■ , would';'presumably , not matter very much •; for a few days, as they are,paid-at:per 1 100, bat a number of other .workers' who 1, {are: employed jittending upon- them, and - : at. other „work{ more or less- connected ' 'with the 'aro. paid ;by :' the dny,; - and, if' tho slaughtermen : work . slowly, ' d;hero is less for these others'to do.' .In this ; .connection, ,it;is;-,interesting.to. , recall; an incident 1 of the ; slaughtering dis-pute'jof;-February,'l9o7: -The '.- Gisborne freezing canrpaniev in"- reply: "to: the..demand of ss. extra ; jwr,.'loo; sheep, - stated that they were willing ."to.,re-open any negotiations for conciliation ,oh their' ap- , plication whicll ' has b'eeni for some' months;: pending the Court's sitting at -Gisborne;-.and:. any,; agreement.,arrived at can then be submitted to the Court, for its approval.-' .-The-.• men,- it -was re- ' ported,: ware;. ag^inrf,' iintil the ; Court held a sitting in the-district, and adopted the policy of, kflling-two sheep :; eaoh.'i'inStead;:of,!B.;or (10. per hour. Remonstrance " against .this cotrrse { proving ineffectual, "■ tho:' employers - inti- . ; mirted 'to, the representativo •of the men . ftliat further killing is suspended on ■ .flip;: gijouhds 1 that : crach:.; irn •. arrangement .{."'is an 'illegal' combiiiation,.. a : nd' ! ;is ..^OT;inthi!the : :iitoti(m'.'of.'''defeatinß-.the.. provisions jof,; .the' {existing' iwardi; and.' of wages'."''.ThW ; : butetes"accordingly, j- . the'etrugglfl, continued for.' about, a Veelc.- . iY^'-the J .''!employ'ers;''agreed'.'to.*iadvMce' ■ ithe;.'rate' 'of.'payf.3sJ"Vpex'.wliDOi.'-{Thivr.peqTi'aU , was, that 16 slaughtermen at Gisborne ' were' foniid. giril<y .of 'taking' part- in a strike, and were each fined , ;