THE SLAUGHTERMEN’S STRIKE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14310, 2 March 1907, Page 9

THE SLAUGHTERMEN’S STRIKE.

THE POSITION UNCHANGED. There was no' change yesterday in the position in regard to the slaughtermen’s strike in Canterbury. The works dealt with “potters” and “preservers” by means of casual labour, twenty men having been put on to the board at Belfast. The companies are still waiting for the Union to approach them. The men, on their part, are in no trepidation, and, outwardly, at any rate, take a complaisant view of the position. All of them have been served with citations to appear before the Arbitration Court at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday. Each man lias received two copies of the citation. One was delivered by a constable,- and the other ■was sent as a registered letter. The citation sets out that “ Complaint has been made that you, being a slaughterman upon whom a certain award of the Court of Arbitration dated the fourteenth day of August, 1901, relative to Canterbury slaughtermen, and an industrial agreement bearing date the fifteenth day of February, 1904, and made between the Canterbury Frozen Meat and Dairy Produce Export Company, Limited, and the Christchurch Ale at Company, Limited, on the one part, and the Canterbury Slaughtermen’s Industrial Union of Workers of the other part, are binding, did, on the twenty-sixth day of February, 1907, commit a breach of Section 15 of the above last-mentioned Act, in that you did take part in a strike now taking place at the works of the said company.” ATTITUDE OF THE MEN. INTERVIEW WITH A STRIKER.The general attitude of the men is represented by further remarks made to a reporter? by a slaughterman who was seen at his residence yesterday, His houeSe stands on a elarge section of land in a quiet country -lane, -whore the air is laden with the freshness of the fields and pastures. A pretty garden, full of sweetly-scented flowers, is in front, and at the side there are bods of potatoes and other vegetables. It is a neat little property, scrupulously clean inside and outside, and bears the stamp of comfort and industry coupled with a desire for refinement. The slaughterman, explained that ho, at any rate, was not anxious in respect to his enforced holiday. “I have plenty of scope for work here,” he said, looking round his garden, “ and I can put in 'as much time in my garden as the companies like to give. As a matter of fact, I wanted a ‘spell oh,’ and this one has come at a very convenient time. The lawn needs cutting, and the garden needs attending to, and I can well.afford to be away from the works for a week or so. The other men are of the same way of thinking. If the companies think that we are feeling anxious they are quite mistaken. They have more reason for anxiety than wo have. I have made a few calculations, and have come to the conclusion that the country, while the freezing works'are closed down, is losing £240,000 a week. Put it down at a quarter of a million, and then remember that it is all for the sake of a halfpenny a sheep. There is nothing in it from the country’s point of view, and less from the companies’. I arrive at the total by putting the quantity N for each factory at 4000 sheep a day on an average. 'There are five factories in Canterbury. They represent 20,000 sheep, and there are as many more factories in other parts of the colony. That makes a total of 40,000 a day. It is 240,000 a week, and, as each sheep represents £l, the loss is £240,000. “In this morning’s newspapers,- Mr Waymouth is advertising for men at ‘ good wages.’ He is willing to pay good wages to these ‘duffers,’ yet he will not pay good wages to us. _ His advertisement seems to ‘ give him away,’ as far as we are concerned, as it is" an admission, that he has not been paying us as much as he ought to have paid. He will find that his casual labour might be able to deal with ‘ potters ’ and ‘ preservers,’ but they will not be able to touch ‘ freezers.’ If they attempt to do that, the companies will lose by them. We are experts in the trade, and we have no fear whatever of the casual men.

“ We are all very much surprised at the spontaneous nature of the event throughout tho colony. There was no concerted action and no organisation, yet tho slaughtermen came forward almost to a man and demanded increased ratcri. It shows conclusively that the demand'is justified. “Speaking of the slaughtermen in the colon}- at present, I can say that they are a splendid lot of men./ They are”the best men that have ever killed in the factories. There are more Australians hero than there have oyer been before. Australia, in fact, is quite depleted of slaughtermen, and the present one is an Australasian affair entirely. Since Christmas the men at Belfast have been averaging between eighty and ninety a day. / That is splendid work, which will take a good deal of beating.”

BELFAST MEN PAID. AMATEUR BUTeiERS AT WORK. A notice was put up at the Belfast Freezing Works office yesterday stating that slaughtermen would be paid their wages up to the time of their striking work, at three o’clock. Some time before ’that hour, about thirty of tho men had congregated at the office, and they wore punctually called inside and handed cash corresponding with the work they had done They were quite quiet about the business. . Nearly all of them asked the clerk for their bonus of sixpence per day, but, as most of them recognised, this was not payable, because they had not finished the season at the works. When they had been paid, tho men departed. Their congregation at the works, however, served ris a convenient opportunity for tho law’s representatives, who handed to a number of '•he -men citations to appear at tile Arbitration Court on Tuesday. Sneaking to soma of tho men, a reporter found that tho plans that a number of the men had formed to leave the colony or tho district had boon abandoned for the present at all events, owing to the Court proceedings. The men regard the situation as practically unchanged, neither side having made anv material advance. About ’twenty butchers were'at .work yesterday in the sltuigiiterhouss, killing “ potters.” M.-co'c of them are comparatively unpractised, and their work fr ave the regular men some mild amusement, tinged occasionally witli disgust. “The Company’s giving ’em ton hob a day ” said one man, “just to make us’wild, but it won’t work._ We’ve reckoned it out, and its costing about thirty bob a hundred to kill them old potters. Wo can’t get twenty-five for freezers. They couldn’t earn their salt on piece-work; and anyway, they ain’t killing tile sheep—they’re murdering ’em. It’s dead funny.”

A TELEGRAM TO MR ‘WATMOUTH. Mr Tvaymduth has 'received the followinf telegram from the Gisborne SheepHarmers’ Frozen Meat Company: that they had determined to adhere to thoir stand to make their claim apart from their Union. We met them and asked it this was final, and received no answer, and informed them of our decision that the factory will re-open on Monday next. Any men previously on the board can send in thoir names before twelve o’clock on Satuiday; after Saturday at ■ twelve o’clock no man who was on the board on Monday

morning last will be permitted to ro*" |. : join, but the case of any local resident 1 married man who subsequently applies will be dealt with on it« merits. In regard to rates of pay, award rates to f be modified retrospectively, in accord- 1 ' . anoe with any subsequent award of the ! Arbitration Court.” STATEMENT BY THE ACTING- . - PREMIER. THE FINES TO BE ENFORCED. IMPRISONMENT THE ALTERNA*' TIVE. , ■ \ - In the course of his remarks at th« ’ gathering of newspaper proprietors yes-i. terday, the Acting-Premier, the Hon' W. Hall-lories, made reference to tHaCd;" slaughtermen’s strike. “ I may bo par<[ v • doned for saying on© or two wordaf-, about this matter,” said the Minister, !., “ because it is one that is important to every man, woman and child in this colony. We have to see that nothing is done by which the progress made in' past years shall he rendered of no avail.; We-have, ft big moat trade with, the' Old Country. Already it has been cabled Home that we have a strike ia New Zealand, and that the men aro leaving the works. The buyers will at once conclude that there is a possibility of their Laving to look elsewhere - for supplies, and it is clear that the mere suggestion of a strike in Now Zealand is calculated to do ns an immense amount of harm. There is no need for’ any trouble. The Conciliation ftnd Ar-, bitration Act has not ■ failed, hut, on, the contrary, is as strong as anyone could wish. The fault- has been on the part of those who- should have taken advantage of the provisions of the Act. We have had two cases brought before the Arbitration Court. At Pareora the Act did not fail, and the men were fined, and in Wellington the Act was not responsible for what has occurred. The weakness was due to those who did not see that the agree- : ment was in accordance with the terms of the Act. "It may bo necessary to provide for matters brought before the Court being dealt with,more expeditiously, and,’ if necessary, additional-. assistance will undoubtedly be granted - by the Government. In the cases that; . have been before the Court, the most regrettable thing is that the prime movers have been people who do not: belong to the colony, and who have not taken advantage of the opportunities offered by the laws to settle their disputes before the Court. There has been no failure on the part of the Act, but there has been failure on the part of • those for whoso assistance it was provided. ’ Last Saturday no less than 23 charges against employers for breaches of the labour laws were heard in Wellington,' and each , employer convicted was fined a sum ranging from £1 to £5. That was very proper, because they hadl been guilty of a breach of the law. These employers incurred the penalty,’ and if they had not paid, their fines, legal steps would have been taken, and if there was no other method of enforc-q ing the fines, the employers would have.' been sent to prison. I hope? that tha| time will never come when it will he; said of this country, as it has been said; Of other countries, that there is one law, for the rich and another for the poor.; If these employers had not paid, and" there had been no other means of recovering the money, they would have’ been imprisoned. There is no doubt' about,that. The Government realises its responsibilities in the present position of affairs. It realises that the law in all its integrity must be sustained, and that the powers that exist , for the en< forcement of the law must be used. The law must be enforced, and it is for the benefit of every man, woman and child i in .the colony to see that the laws pass-] ed by the Legislature are enforced aSi intended.” HONJ. T PAUL’S OPINION. Speaking to a reporter yesterday, thi; Hon J. T. Paul, M.L.C., said that the j strike was a blunder. Such a step as I the slaughtermen had taken merited more serious consideration than had' been given to it. He did not wish it to be understood that. the men were hot, in his opinion, entitled to the full, 25s per 100. The nature of the work, arid the position of the'industry, war- ; ranted such an increase. There was, however, a constitutional and proper way to have, the conditions revised, and he regretted exceedingly that the men had not taken that way. A step of such grave importance should have been considered apart from its effect on their own calling. The possible effect on the arbitration system, and also tho possible effect on -organised Labour; generally, should have been considered. He did nob agree with those who said that the Arbitration Act had failed. The strike had shown them one or two weak parts in the Act, and these should be strengthened. It had convinced the large majority of the people that therj must be no delay in adjusting industrial disputes, and to ensure the (speedy settlement of labour differences, he strongly favoured an extension _or the powers given to the Conciliation Board. Tho recommendations; of the Boards should be made law until superseded on appeal to the Arbitration Court. That would ensure a : fai adjustment of a-dispute on a just bceia within a reasonable time. Ho be .ievec* that only a small proportion of f he re< commendations would be f ] pealed . against. Opponents to this! method might say that it restricted the scope of conciliation as a factor in the settlement of labour disputes; but if the parties interested were in a conciliatory mood, then the whole question could bo settled in conference, giving free play to a conciliatory spirit. If it was proved that the, action of the slaughtermen had seriously endangered the Arbitration Act, he could not help feeling they had inflicted ; a grievous injury on organised labour. It was all right enough to’strike on a rising market, as the slaughtermen ■ have done, but if such a course of ao-, tion was taken by the workers, they.: - must expect a “ lock out ” on the firub ? , suspicion of depression. If both sidei\. were loyal to Arbitration Court awards, \ - the men could rest assured th'at .no" very j\ serious reduction in wages would take ■ \ place. He felt very strongly that thoq \ rough organisation' of labour arid 1 capital was the only-possible method of bargaining at the present day, and . ho felt that if. employers took a moraf reasonable view of preference to Unions ■ ists it would be to the mutual advantage of both sides. It the irreepon-. sible man who causes trouble at a time like this, and the irresponsible man ■ was very often a non-Unionist, or a! very imperfectly educated Unionist.(j Ho could only hope that the good sense. of the Labour leaders would make it clear to the . slaughtermen that a' speedy termination of the present difficulty would be in the interest of all concerned. The choice was of two things—arbitration and a .measure of industrial peace, or strikes and chacsHo would not, Mr Paul said in conclusion, be in favour of multiplying tho number of Arbitration Courts. Uniformity was an essential feature in, the proper working of the system, and this could not be ensured with more that one final tribunal. If the work was* properly organised, one Court could do all that was required.

THE-POSITION AT GISBORNE. , [Per Press Association.] i • GISBORNE, March 1. At a meeting of slaughtermen lastl nigxic. it was decided to ask Mr Townley, Mayor of Gisborne, to act os mediator. A proposal will be laid bt fore __ . ■the directors of the Sheep-farmers’- '< Company to-day. The position at.]-.' both works is unchanged. The men at y‘ Messrs Nelson Bros’ works are •fcain , killing one lamb per hour. , ■ I ■' 'About forty summonses for breMM

I of award have been issued by the Ua- ’ boui- Department against, the local - slaughtermen. ■ A sitting of the Court .will bo held. here within a fortnight. A meeting of the Freezing Works Union was convened for to-night to discuss the situation, but,as the meeting had not been called in strict compliance with the rules it was decided to ad- ' journ. The slaughtermen, however, remained and discussed the terms, which they could not see their way to accept. This leaves the position ■much as it was, excepting that the ice has been broken in the matter of negotiations. NO CHANGE AT BURNSIDE. [Per Press Association.] DUNEDIN, March 1. Th© men are still out at Burnside, awaiting developments in the north. THE SITUATION IN SOUTHLAND. [Per Press Association.] INVERCARGILL, 'March 1. The principal development in the strike to-day is that th© works at Alataura and Ocean Beach restarted in the afterhoon, the understanding being that the men should kill off waiting Stock. It would ycost the owners 6d railage each way and 3d a week keep if the stock were seat back to farmers, and rather than that they have agreed to pay the extra |d a head, or thereabouts, to make up the 25s a hundred demanded by the men to have the stock slaughtered. The Southland Frozen Meat Company has mad© a similar arrangement, having „ practically handed ■ over the control of the Mat aura works to a dealer who had 2000 sheep the works. The sheep owner must find the men, but it is understood that some men have gone back. The four butchers, who refused to strike with the others ' turn out to be beef bunds. They refused to kill the mutton, and have since thrown in their lot with th© strikers. / The strike could not have happened at a more opportune time for Southland, according to some authorities, as some drafts recently sent to the works had been on' the light side. The recent rains have greatly improved pasture, and sheep ( for freezing will increase greatly in Value during the cessation if killing operations. NOTES. No change has taken place at the Fairfield Freezing Works, and seven Butchers’ assistants are busily engaged killing “potters.” The company is ad■r Mortising for <f Farm hands and others capable of doing rough slaughtering.’. , ; The men do not seem to know what .. vrill be the outcome of the meeting, this evening, but it is probable that ' the Union will be placed upon a satisfactory footing, and it may be empowered to negotiate with the companies as to th© terms of a settlement. ■ ■ / At a meeting of the Christchurch Socialist Party held last evening the following motion was passed:—“That the Christchurch branch of the New Zealand, Socialist Party expresses its : sympathy with the slaughtermen in ' their attempts to gain a larger, share . of the results of their labour, of ■which they have been, systematically robbed by a ring of capitalists. And further that the Socialist Party protests against - the action of the employers in asking for police protection, for free labourers ns an uncalled for and unjustifiable reflection. upon a body of men who are quit© within their rights in peacefully refusing to work.” TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I have read the letter of your correspondent “ Once a Butcher,” and think it is about th© soundest bit of ; ~ sense I have read for some time. Amongst its other blessings the Arbitration Act has produced an army of / political wind-bags, who lead a luxurious life, extorted from the pockets of the workers. These gentry can lay "“down the law at the street corners during the busy part of the day, and dictate to the man who works, hub they are vastly afraid of running up against any work, real work, themselves. As a humble tiller of the soil, Iwish to compliment “ Once a Butcher ” upon his bit of straight talk, and I would rather grasp hie toil-marked hand, brutalising as it ia, than the white sleek one of the modern labour sharper. •—I ami etc., „ PATCHED DUNGAREES.