THE SLAUGHTERMEN'S STRIDE.

North Otago Times, 4 February 1913, Page 2

THE SLAUGHTERMEN'S STRIDE.

Per Press Association. l*i6„ofue, Kb. 3. The Gisbo'-iiJ Sheep l'Vmers Frozen Meat Company siurtoi nil.iliy operations to-day with seven uiOii. 'iliey are expecting more during the day, and"*anticipate no <ltficun.y in carrying pn. Wellington, Fob, 3, Mr Hally, a Conciliation Commissioner has unofficially been endeavoring to bring th 6 Parties in the slaiifjitermin s dispute together-with a view to a Bt-ttlenient, but so far lias failed. He says the Partr.es appear to to'« hardenad up, a'-id the (•liances of a settlement along ordinarj lines are inut 'bright. He in lends again approaching both sides on Wednesday s.tid to suimiit certain l.roposals which may get over tlie didiculty. Mr H.iliy does not think there is -the slightest chance of n general-strike. GisLome, Feb. 3. Considerably over 100 she-ipfarmers, including some of the most prominent in Poverty Bay, met on Saturday in coiiujction with the slaughter:! en's dispute. The official announcement to the PreßS was "That the sheepfarmers of this district intend to stand -by the companies through thick aiyl thin, a nd will see that labor is forthcoming should it be required." .Several names ol miUi willing to go on the killing honril, if required, were handed in. The names rare thosn of station hands, said to be adePt with the l\iiife.

It was stated, on behalf d tlu liaiti wcrls that the companies -liad secured six slaughtermen willing to start on Monday mcming on th.i companies' terms, and the works will open with a beard 0 f about a do'/.en slauuliter.'iien.

The decision of the Freezers'' Ilnicn net to sti'ke in sympathy with the slaughtermen is being much discussed, and the secretary of the Union toM a reporter that he with most cf the slaughtermen, believed that •;he freezers had taken the right and 1 roper course. His union had not a.s-.cd the freezers to do aliythinj yet. There was n» agreement between them, (but In felt sure they would act if tlie slaughtermen's body requested them to. The Slaughtermen's Union meets on MoJulay night, and the suggestion is made that they 'Will a sk the freezers 'to ctri .e in sympatliy.

(Special to The Press.) Gisborne, Fe'j. 2, Last night's meeting ol the )o:al Freezing Workers' Union wan probably the largest yet belli in GieI.onia, pi,<l lad an -import a nt bearing on tta slmig|i tern fen s dis>pnh',' Although the o.Hicials of the Union decliiu to make any statement as to the result of Hie meeting, it is stated on good authority that the freezers decided not to to out Oa stiilie in sympathy with the butchers, hut to remain at wo'.k. At the same time tlie Union agreed ITacticiilly unanimously rut to aian the slaughtermen's boards. Careful enquiry into the subject goes to indicate th n t llie frceatrs, who embody t-he' -general hands eiuplpyed at -the factories (exelusJing tire slaughtermen, who -.ire under a separate organisation) hold the key to the situation. Had the ireezers decided to strike in sympathy tlie position would have besn much more critical than it is, bat it is an o;ien secret tliai't feeling has existed bet-ween the two sections of workers. This lepling has largely been brought about jjy the attitule of the butchers towards the other workers. Kor instance, until recently, -it iwas customary f o r the slaughterhouse hands who come under the freezers section tOi'-'leg" sheep during smok«-hos, and by this acquaintance with the work tlioy gradually qualified themselves iutha «se of the I'n'fe. This practice, hiw. ever, the butchers put a stop to, ■a'Ml under the learners' restrictions, aecess'on to- the better pa'd ran'fa nn | in tact, it tiM tew

to the great majority of the freezers. Another factor that doubtless Influenced last night's meeting, to trie ■specially atlracthe ofler Of gUaranteeti employment Put forward by the companies in the new condi% tiOllfl, ■Under tliese conditions any of the l ,utcl\ers present* other than slaughtermen, or any othar men capavle° of killing sheep, lamhs, or beef, although not hitherto engaged in a 'slaughterhouse (such as station jg bands) subject to good,.behaviour and ( cont'nued capacity, ore assured of preferential at current rates pay to jHt Is practically the next three iu»b .a-haM years. A still further reason, and perhaps the' most potent of all, is the fact the freezers did not desire to foriog themselves under the penal clause of the <Act affecting strikes, ,• but intend to abide by the law of the land.

Whilst the Freezers' Union decide,! last night .not to man the slaughtering (ward, it •does not necessarily follow that lilliiig operations, by the withdrawal 1 of the butchers will cease. It is openly staled that the companies have' been assured of a eupply of butchers, and this is evi- . denced by the fact that it is ths > intention of the Kaitl Wort's to resume killing en Monday. Advice has been received from To- : lioinaru Bay that t'ne company there is assured ot a board of fourteen butchers 0 n Tuesday, and no dif-,» ncuity is dn being a ile' to wry on as usual. It is underjioovl the Bame .will apply at Tiniheru when this factory resumes a , little later.

Mr R, Sherratt, chairman of tlio eheepownerß" meeting, st#t«l to day tliat he bad received many communications from men ..wto would be only too Willing to tftVe on tha works, Other enquiries show that there ja ut distinct inclination on « the part .of Borne of the free:ers arid, in laQt, some of the ljutchcra, lo cut adrift from than - legalisation and accept the companies 1, offer, ' j |na Per Press jiasociat'ou. Bastings, Fob. 3. The position in regard to the slaughtermen s strite ,Ib, in so far as it coucenis the local worts unchanged. llessrs Borthwick and Son* Pa i,.a i, ha.e not receive;! any apli.icatioi.B for places on the killing Ward, and the works are closed :.uwn in tlie meantime. . A)i[ilication3 fcr "hooks" at To--' monna are coming- in freely, and it is anticipated the .works 'Will reopen on Wednesday morning with a full hoard, The rate of 1)0 the same as was ottered the mo.i who went out on strto, viz., 27s Cd pet handled. Should anticLpatious he realised slaughtering wl'l bo resumed on Wednesday, and the necessity of dispensing with the services of the hands in other departments will be obviated,

.Questioned by * reporter one o{ the strikers said thsy had no i'- 1 " '[ tention of going back on their demands, and Would fight to the bitter end. Referring! to the proposal ol the companies to man the boards with free labor the speaker said the v firms might ibe Batifsed with their work, but he doubte^^T-the fanners would put up .very long. 1

Waitnra, Feb. 3. A conference held to-day between tile management of and Sens' worliß here and tlifl butchers • was abortive, the latter turning r down the after made them. The firm state they are preparing a statement for the prees, meanwhile tlwy stato the old butchers areuot going back,

! Chrjstchurch, Feb. 3. The two Canterbury freezing com, 1 panics (the Canterbury Fro/cn. Meat and Dairy Produce Compuiy and the Christchurcln Meat Company) 1 have decided to call for applications from expert slaughtermen airi from learners to m,an the killing fconrds at their works. That object is, of course, to end the present condition ; )j( «Uairs brought niout by tlta Slaugliber-Jiien's Union declining to nccept any leEser rate than 20a -per : hundred. The strile has now (* ■ Ijeoi in existence for nearly a week, and there are not wanting indications that Eoine of (hi steadier men in the ranks of the slaughtermen ore anything |iut satisfied with the attitude taj<en up .by tU-e Unicti and will be probably willing to re--1 same work on substantially increased ' rattß offered jjy the companies* It > of their notice will have the elleet is «ntici|)fii[|[i that tho publication' of bringing mattcie to a h>ad, and will possibly end the present dead' •' lock, lhe terms and conditions ol employment wiU bo those decided upon at the latest conference of re. presentat'ives of the freezing Com- ' Fames, which .were given in full in last Saturday's newspapers. Sir Geo. Clifford, when s?»n by a reporter in respect to the noliceG issued by the two Canterbury Companies stated that the wo:is would be open wifJi free lai"„or. Ho desired the fact to be emphasised that as far a s the Canterbury companies are concerned th e re is no 'antagonism to the employment of uiv ion lailior, and every opportunity would be offered men who went o;i to slaughtering boards to form a union to be registered under the Industrial Conciliation ami Arbitration Act. The companies were net fight l ing unionism, but only this particular phase of the trouble. 'Hie L'aiuerjury blaufchterwe,, 'a Union met but the mcitmg was not open to the press. At tin conclusion the (secretary conirnunic.ited the foi L-jwing report: "The meeting wan very largely attended, and represjatatives were pre-Cat from the freezing \y u r.s at Fairfield, Smlthficld and Pareora. It was rtsoxved that the Unioq m.iKe ,i film stand lor 30s perloo," ](; w;\g fur-' ther reported tliat ma : ority of the men bams got emplujmcnt ai haVvepting, navvying, and so on, <&1 it i s their present intention t 0 remain at Uitt class ol jrorls/i The reporter asked if any resolution waß arrived at with reference,tr> employment by the companies o free labor. The secretary replied that there waß Sotting to report under that head. H« was also asked ,|f ally arrangements had been made f or picketing, and the secretary replied that the urdon did not work in that way. Wellington, Feb. 3. Ifie position of the deadlock lie- * tween the meat freezing companies end .the slaughtermen remains unaltered. Both sides, so far as Well- J ingkm is concerned, are apparently I wa:ting developments, It ; s lu ,t considered likely that either tho %. Imuran» or Petone worka will be ■aWe to secure sufficient fr« khor man the killing hoards again, The gates at Nfahiuranra were thrown onen this morning in casfi any men should he pr W ei tn aecept cetupany's offer, but It !j

reported that not a man oflered himself. Mr ißearilon, the secretary of the Union, BC.yfl this, was only t 0 he expected, as the men are determined not to give ia, and so long as tlieir organisation Is not broken u l> they will not mind if a lew weaklings go back.