PAY OF SHEARERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20987, 25 September 1931, Page 11

PAY OF SHEARERS.

NEW AWARD SOUGHT. I PROPOSED ALTERED RATES. j [by telegraph.—paKS association. ] WELLD*' TON. Thursday. The Dominion sli£».-ers' dispute came before the Arbitration Court to-day, when the employers mido application for a new award. The most important matter referred to the Court, is the question of \ rates of pay. The employers that shearing rates should be fixed at 19s per 100, j while the workers seek a rate of £1 10s | per ICO for hand-shear; ug and £1 7s 6d for machine-shearing. I here are also variations in the other branches of shearing. Regarding pay for shed-hands, the suggested rates are as follows, the employers' proposals being mentioned first in each instance: —Pressers. £2 15s a week. £4 10s; all other shed bands, £2 10s, £4; cooks. £3 ss. 16 10s; coots' assistants, £2 15s, £4 10s. Joseph Burton Kelis, sheepfarmer, of Mangatu. near Gisbornc, submitted returns showing that the average earnings of shearers in Poverty I Bav was £ll 4s a week. Ihe highest j shearer averaged 192 sheep a day for ten I weeks' steady employment, and the j lowest 113 sheep. this included the ! time lost in travelling from one shed to j another. I Frederick X. If. Beamish, sheepfarmer, of Hastings, produced returns for various sheep farms in Hawke s Bay showing how prices had fallen while costs had not been reduced. Even if the rat" of shearing was reduced to 15s per 100. shearers would receive £b 10s a week and found. Henry Dyke Acland, president of the Xew Zealand Sheepowners' Federation, said at present, eliminating interest, the cost of producing wool did not leave any margin of profit at all, and unlpss some relief were afforded, slieepfarmers would not be able to carry on at even the cost of production. The hearing was adjourned until tomorrow.