TELEGRAMS FREE LABOUR DOING WELL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 46, 24 February 1913, Page 3

TELEGRAMS FREE LABOUR DOING WELL

POSITION OF SLAUGHTERMEN.'. (bi telegbaph — Special 'to tub post.) ■ , DUNEDIN, This Day. Although there. have been no open developlmenis since the meeting, of the local slaughtermen's union on \ Wednesday night the feeling gi.-o.vvs 1 that, the end 'of the trouble is in 'siglit. ' The longer t}ie imipni&te delay action the more hopeless their position &eems to 'become. The free, labourers at Eurnside'. numbering 18 are <;fojng excellent work,' anil improvement ie> noticeable every day. As many as . over 7QO , sheep have . been handled in one day. Should the offerings of- stock become heavier the vacancies oil the boards will- be filled by free Jabqur <?r unionist. It,i& said that many unionists wish to go back, but the fact that there are only six vacancies to be filled has had the effect of 'solidifying the'uriionist ranks. .If all -could be taken on there would be' a rush for positions. As regards the works in tKe south, it is etatedthat they; are fully manned -by free labour, and that applications for employment have been received , from come members of the slaughtermen's union, who have asked that some free labourers should be put off in, favour of the applicants. Such applications Have been promptly declined by the directors of the works, who are fully satisfied with tho' output of their present staff. A portion of the work is said to be executed more neatly than that, oorf r professional Wpfkers, who' are often inclined to get through too, rapidly. . According to some, visiting' farmers, the rumours of interference by the waterside workers have had a detrimental effect in Canterbury^ but this feeling has been succeeded by a more optimistic one, and it is confidently expected-that-large numbers of .unipnists will be ba<"k ab work next week.' The stock conditions are' not too good ; tho weather- has been dry, and large of lambs are practically fat. and holders arte frightened to speculate any further. In 6tore sheep the market has been very dead at Adding ton,- although at the last sale there was more life. Delivery of large numbers of store. sheep has to be taken during tha first and second .weeks in March, and same buyers are at their wits end to know- what to do with them. Unless favoured with rain during the next week or two, the turnip crops north of Oamaru will be a failure, and this will have a'bad effect on the store .sheep market for some time to come. There are good prospects for the turnip and rape crops in Otago and Southland, and should prices fall northwards, large numbers of sheep will be sent .to, these district*. SATISFACIPRYIN CANTERBURY. fPEEB3 ASSOCIATION.] ' CHRISTCHURCH, 23rd February. From the point of view of the Canterbury Freezing Companies matters are satisfactory despite the fact that the slaughtermen's strike has not been declared off. Thia week it is expected, both at Islington and at Smithfield,that. the output will reach' four figures per day. Now that the pressure of harvest work is over, and that grass seeding is practically finished applications from a suitable type of workers ' are coming in jnuch more freely than was the case when slaughtering operations started ten days ago. Indeed^ the amount of labour offering is such that the 'companies aTe not, under the necessity for engaging any but ' those who 'appear ' likely 1 ' to'*' prove efficient workers. After having received some instruction the quality of trie work being done by the men at present- manning 'the boards 1b giving rand'comparesfav-" ourably with the standard reached by experts in recent years.. In vifew of the number of men at present on the boards at" Islington and of the fate at which ap plications are coming-in,' it will be only a matter of a few days before' the boards will be quite full.* " . ' The .learners employed by the com--panies,;it is understood, are making such excellent progress • that already a 'large proportion of them are being paid the piece-work - rate, as they have proved themselves capable of 'earning' mote than the guaranteed maximum- of 10s- per day.