SLAUGHTERMEN'S STRIKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15235, 24 February 1913, Page 8

SLAUGHTERMEN'S STRIKE.

COLLAPSE IN CANTERBURY. [BY TELEGRAPH.-PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CnniSTCHtRCir, Sunday. Prom the point of view of the Canterbury freezing companies matters are satisfactory, despite the fact that the slaughtermen's strike has riot been declared off. This week it is expected that both at Islington and at Smithfield the output will reach four figures per day. Now that the pressure of the harvest work is over, and that the grass-seeding is practically finished, applications from a suitable type of workers are coming in much more freely than was tho case when, slaughtering operations started 10 days ago. Indeed the amount of labour offering is such that the companies are not under the necessity of engaging any but those who appear likely to prove efficient workers after having received some instruction.

The quality of the work being done by tho men at present manning the boards at the company's works is giving satisfaction, and compares favourably with the standard reached by experts in recent years. In view of the number of men at present on the boards at Islington, and of the rate at which applications are coming in, it will be only a matter of a few davs before the boards will he quite full. Learners employed by the companies, it is understood, are making such excellent progress that already a large proportion of them are being paid at piecework rates, as they have proved themselves capable of earning more than the guaranteed minimum of 10s per day.