FREE LABOUR AT WORK

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 233, 28 June 1922, Page 6

FREE LABOUR AT WORK

LATEST DEVELOPMENT IN FREEZING TROUBLE “SUCCESSFUL BEYOND EXPECTATIONS” FULL BOARD AT BURNSIDE by tdlbgbaph— Press association. Christchurch, June 27. No new element has arisen in connection with the freezers’ strike. The works are continuing with free labour, and the new team system of killing has proved successful far beyond expectations. This is proved by the fact that in some of the works all the dieop brought in for a day’s killing were cut out by 2.30 p,m. FREE LABOUR AT BURNSIDE FULL BOARD AT WORK STRONG UNION PICKET . GIVES NO TROUBLE By Telegbaph— Press association. Dunedin, June 27. The Burnside freezing works resumed killing to-day with a full board of free labour, consisting of two teams and several butchers working on their own. A strong picket from the union, totalling 47, occupied the roadways and different entrances to the works, but no demonstration of any kind was attempted. A police guard was provided, but the duties of these officers proved to he light—a few words of advice being sufficient to stop even the following up of men going to the works. Similar conditions prevailed at the Finegand Works at South Otago. THE COMPANIES’ POSITION OFFERS FROM FARMERS. “All tho works are killing, and things are going on very well,” stated a report issued last week by the North Canterbury Freezing Company. “Tho number of workers is increasing steadily. Farmers and others are telephoning and telegraphing from all over the country offering their services. 5Ve expect, in consequence of the strike, that the season -will go on a few weeks longer than intended, but, apart from the delay, no great harm will result. Shipping of frozen meat goes on satisfactorily.” In some quarters it was stated that the response to the companies’ appeal was due in many cases just as much to +he belief that the strike had been engineered by callous agitators who had nothing at stake as it was to the desire for work. It was not anticipated by employers that the cry of “blackleg” will deter many men, seeing that at the first meetings absolute majorities of the workers were in favour’ of going beck to work. Inquiries made from the companies in regard to wages showed that prior to the ss. a week reduction, the men earned P9s. 4d. per 100 for sheep and 365. 6Jd. for lambs. Therefore, it was contended, the reduction still left the men a wage which was possibly h’gher than that naid for any other class of work in tho Dominion. The men killed about 90 head per day, and the reduction did not amount to more than Is. per 100. “In the course of a few days,” stated n renresentative of one of the companies in Christchurch, a few davs see, “it is not nnlikelv that tho slaughtermen will 'find that their services can be dispensed with moro easily than the services of mon in other departments. Tho companies are determined that a small percentage of the slaughtermen shall not dictate to the whole of the freezing industry, and in tsl-inz action which will prevent the slaughtermen so dictating the companies consider that they are acting just a s much in the interest* of the general bodv of freezing works employees as tho'- are in their own. “The men who are annlying for work are hv no means outcasts, as stated to’ Mr. Fib's (secretary of the Canterbury Freezing Workers’ Union). Tbev are out of work on account of general trade depression; and our own men are out of work because they were ‘jockeyed’ into unemployment hy half a dozen agitators.” OBITUARY REVI BOWDEN, S.M., M.A. The death ococurred at Nelson yesterday of the Rev. Father J, Bowden, S.M., M.A. The late Father Bowden, who had been in indifferent health ft>r some time past, was recently transferred from Wellington to Nelson. Tho deceased gentleman was born m Dunedin some fifty-seven years ago, and at an early age proceeded to Ireland to pursue his studies. After several years at St. Mary’s College, .Dundalk, Father Bowden went to Dublin, where he graduated at the R.U.1., with double first honours in classics. Returning to New Zealand in 1891, he completed his studies for tho priesthood at St. Mary’s Seminary, Meeanee Hawke’s Bay, and was ordained at Wellington in 1893. For twelve years Father Bowden was classics master at St. Patrick's College, Wellington, a post which he filled with great distinction. His next aj>pointment was to the staff of the Marist Seminary in Hawke’s Bay, but impaired _ health obliged him to relinquish this position. Parish duties occupied Father Bowden for several subsequent years, during which time he ministered in Leeston. Wanganui, Upper Hutt, and Wellington. Father Bowden was a brilliant scholar and a cultured gentleman, and his genial and happy personality will be missed by a very large circle of friends. MR. F. G~EWINGTON. A Press Association message from Auckland announces the death of Mr. Frederick George Ewington, nt the age of 79. The late Mr. Ewington arrived by the ship Indian Empire in 1862. He served in the Maori war, and was formerly a member of the Prisons Board.