THE SHEARERS' DISPUTE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10515, 25 July 1910, Page 6

THE SHEARERS' DISPUTE.

(Per Pkess Association / Wellington, July 2-1. Mr Pryor, secretary to the Now Zealand Employers' Federation, wrote to the Minister of Labor yesterday as follows: "I shall be very much surprised to learn that Mr Triggs, Conciliation Commissioner, has suggested any such arrangement as set forth in the telegram from the secretary of the Shearers'' Union to Mr T. ft. Taylor and yourself, as published in this morning's papers. ThY> proposal made would riot give the three Commissioners power to settle, the matter. All they could do would be to submit to the Arbitration Court a joint report on shearing rates now paid throughout the Dominion. The rates paid are perfectly well known to both parties, and could be placed before the Arbitration Court by their witnesses in ten minutes on Tuesday. Besides there m no understanding on the part of the Shearers' Union that it would abide, by the Arbitration Court award, even if the suggestion were adopted. It is therefore a case of "as you were,'' as the. proposal means nothing. _ When the Shearers' Union executive is prepared to give a written undertaking that it will give its representatives a free hand to discuss the rates of pay, that it will loyally .abide by any decisions arrived at, and that it will not take any steps during the. currency of the award to prevent workers making engagements to work at the prices fixed, the New Zealand Sheep Owners' Federation will favorably consider any proposal made to bring about a settlement for a Dominion award. Until the Shearers' Union executive gives that evidence of its honorable intentions in connection with the matter no notice can be taken of any so-called proposals for a settlement."