SLAUGHTERMEN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1648, 15 January 1913, Page 8

SLAUGHTERMEN.

THE POSITION TO DATE.

Nothing "ally new ha 3 happened in tlio slaughtermen's dispute since tho announcement,was made that certain, meat works will presently close. At present tlio works are running on, and there is naturally plenty of stock coming to hand, the present speed will be maintained until closing day,-' which is ' Monday next; ■ .'Yesterday Mr. M. J. Reardon, secretary of the Slaughtermen's Union,- stated'to a Dominion reporter that tlio butchers would give the'eompanie's "a. fair 'run" until 'the' works closed, and the probabilities are that no trouble on this score need be anticipated.

In Wellington the works emplov upwards of 800 men. ' These will hot all.be discharged on Monday, but more' anil more of them will find themselves without employment'as tlie struggle goes on, if, indeed, it does go- on' for any more than 'a day or two. UNEASY PETQNE. '.'.. ■' Business people'.in Petono have been made very uneasy by tho prospect of a striko of slaughtermen.- Some of them have already decided to refuse all credit, and to restrict themselves solely'to cash trading, and it is considered probable that ■Petono shopkeepers, in general-will adopt the same policy. It is agreed oniall hands that tho prospective strike will do'a great deal of harm to Fetoue. and that, traders 'will bo the first to feel the pincbv-Pro-prietors of public'amusement-halls, picture show's,' arid so forth" are also'looked upon as likely to feel the'effects of tho striko in greatly diminished business and profits. •■....-.;.

Soriio of the men engaged in industries subsidiary to that 'of i the slaughtermen— fireservers, fellmongers, and so on—frank-' y' express their disapproval of tho posed strike", A point often raised when Petono people are'discussing the position is. that a] number of the slaughtermen •arcsingle" men, \vh'6 como to "New Zealand from Australia; and; having no.'permanent honle- ifi ilia Dominion,/can readily 'lews ,it if tliey find it convenient to do so.' On 'the, other hand, a/proportion of- the slaughtermen, are married men'whbhaye families dependent Upon them, and ; -'are.' settled in Petonc. tipon these men and on their wives and'families the burden of tho'striko falls heavily/ and although slaughtermen as a class.stick' loyally together, '■'there is reason to,believe- that the married men-arc not by any mean's so keen about striking .ns their unmarried comrades, who can betako'themselves elsewhere'whenever they feel so inclined. That this wives of tho married men fear :tho prospect of a striko is undoubted. It is'common'talk among' residents of tho place that tlio strike will: make■'• a'._ big difference for tho worse'in tho"position of many families in Petone. _\ EFFECT' ON MARKET. -/■ : - (By .Telegraph—Press Association.) ! ; '■' Christchurch, January li.. There in no definite information locally this morning concerning tho slaughtering dispute.' The .uncertainty is affecting the market, and at the Cust sale yesterday .there'was no;demand for. fat lambs,'l'.Thei usual buyers ,wero present, but did not offer to bid.