THE SLAUGHTERMEN'S STRIKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13454, 5 April 1907, Page 6

THE SLAUGHTERMEN'S STRIKE.

MR. MILLAR AND THE TRADE

CONFERENCE.

THE MINISTER IN REPLY

[BY TELEGRAPH. — PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

! DoNEDIX, Thursday. J The Hon. J. A. Millar, in speaking at the Trades and Labour Conference to-night dealt with the charges levelled against him by the Conference that he had been guilty of a contemptible action in regard to the reference made about Australian workers in connection with the recent slaughtermen's strike. The Minister said th.itt no more serious charge could be made against any ! man, and he could hardly think that the delegates knew the true position. It was only right that his side of the question should be made public. When he heard rumours of tae butchers' strike he immediately communicated with the Inspector of Awards, asking him to find out the cause of the trouble, and if anything could he done to ameliorate it. The inspector interviewed the men, who had passed a resolution disregarding the Arbitration Act. They said they would be in Australia before the (Joint could (-it. He was justified in saying that the Australians were at the bottom of the strike, and it was his duty to place the blame on the tight shoulders, and he did so Mr. Millar quoted the case of three lads who had been sent to Pareora, but who were riot allowed to start work through the agency of an Australian. The Australians had openly defied the Act and the Department, and now that the, delegates had a knowledge of the true facts they could not say it was a '•contemptible" action. It was his duty, as head of the Department, to deal with matters irrespective of where a man came from. His colleague, Dr. Findlay, had made use of the expression that the Australians were birds of passage, and he had likewise stated that he did not like to give the true designation to them, as ; t might be invidious. He had always been willing to meet any of the Labour party, and give any assistance he could. He hoped they might see in the future tnat there were other means of obtaining ends: than those adopted.

Mr. A. H. Cooper, chairman of the Conference, and secretary of the Slaughtermen's Union, denied that any such words were used by the men as mentioned by Mr. Millar. There was only one Australian on the committee of six, and so far from Australians having fomented the strike, they rendered the greatest assistance in helping to bring the New Zeaknders into a reasonable frame of mind, and. in fact, brought about a settlement at Wellington. The workers had been very patient with the Act, but they could not be expected to be contented with any battered old machine labelled "Arbitration Act."