MEAT-WORKS' STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1363, 14 February 1912, Page 5

MEAT-WORKS' STRIKE.

NO SETTLEMENT IN SIGHT-

PICNIC AT DAY'S BAY,

The headquarters of the meat works hands' strike was transferred yesterday from I'etouc lo Day's Bay, where a picnic was held under the management of tho Strike Coin mit tee. Tho ivcathcr was not the ltest possible, and perhaps ft picnic did not appeal to the strikers as the best way to spend the day, but at any rale, instead »f the thousand peoplo expected, only about 1511 actually made tho trip. It turned out that the outing was purely for pleasure; no speeches were delivered, and any deliberations of tho committee were informal. A number of sports event* were run off, for grown-ups and children, and it go-as-you-please cricket match was played between teams representing the rival sheds. Will Other Works Close? "Have you heard anything from Master* ton?" was the lirst question a Dominion reporter was asked when he approached one of the strike leaders. This was the text of most of the discussion and speculation that went on among the groups of men scattered over the ground. It was quite evident that they expected the. Waingawu men to "down tools" either yesterday or to-day. And there is a. growing opinion among the men that unlets oilier works are closed down lliey cannot force the local companies lo capitulate. If the stock all over tho country cannot lx> slaughtered somewhere, then it may reasonably be expected that the stock-raiseri will interest themselves in tho dispute. They are, in fact, interested in an apprehensive way at present, and it seems quite probable, that the companies will choose to regard this trouble as their own private affair.' That is the attitude they have adopted so far as tho newspapers are concerned, and it is quite conceivable that they will refuse to tako outside advice on the matter from their clients.

Slaughtermen aro birds of passage, hardworking men, and keen on making money while tho chance offers. Also they are used to strikes. In the Australian works, strikes of hours' or days' duration aro of Iho most common occurrence, and tho butchers have learned to take them philosophically. So with (his strike. They aro not concerned in it, and, although they are anxious to see tho other hands get what they ask for, they are not all going to slay in Petono to support them wliilo the strike is on. Numbers of them have, telegraphed to works managers all over the country asking for a hook if there is one vacant in the slaughterhouse. Some of them will no doubt bo absorbed by other works, but the larger proportiou of them will not. "Capitalistic Press" Again. One amusing incident, occurred at th» .strikers' picnic. It may be mentioned that tho party had chosen one of the higher grounds at tho Bay tor their sports, and few other visitors went to their field. Two of tho trespassers were press photographers, who promptly set about snapshotting as many likelylooking groups as they could iind. Whereupon n middlo-aged striker wearing a committee badge upbraided them for their impertinence in trying to make money out of tlio unfortunate strikers' faces. What papers did they represent, anyway? Oil being informed, he exclaimed at once, "Two capitalistic Tory papers." Then he demanded that the photographers should at once destroy all their plates. They said that this was unreasonable, but they offered to submit tho objection to their editors. This did not satisfy the angry one . who demanded again that tho plates should bo destroyed, saying that a record of who were present at" the gathering might prejudice any _of them several years henco if they applied as strangers for employment. The plates must be destroyed, and tho editors informed that no pictures of tho picnio were obtainable. This suggestion tho photographers scouted, refusing to agree to tell lies at anybody's dictation, and then for some reason or other the man with a grievance let his wrath die Jown. ITe was the onlv objector, the other men in the little crowd appeared to have no dread of seeing their nictures reproduced even in "capitalistic Tory papers' No information was made available at the town offices of the companies. No negotiations of any sort have been oponcd, and everything is going on smoothly enough at tho works. FARMERS' SUPPORT. URGED TO FILL STRIKERS' PLACES IF NEEDED. (Br TelCErash.—Press Association.) Palmcrston North, February 13. At a meeting of the Advisory Committee of tho New Zealand Farmers' Union, held at. Falnierslon to-day, the following resolution was passed:— , "That, in view of the manner in which the men at the Gear Company's and Meat Export Company's works struck work, this executive is strongly of opinion that their demands should be resisted to the utmost, and urges farmers in their own interests to support the companies by every means in their power, and it a crisis arises that tho producers and their sons at some personal saenneo should even go to the length of providing labour to «irrv on the industry. 'Ihis strike is only another instance of tho futility of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, which leaves the worker free while niacin" restriction on tho employers, and tins executive would urgo Parliament to provide some more suilablo means of adjusting disputes of this nature, winch would leave the adjustment to those, in the trade, and deal summarily with those, pernicious agitators who are so often alone responsible for interfering with tho harmonious relationship existing between tho employers and their employees."