RECENT LABOUR DEMANDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14156, 7 March 1908, Page 13

RECENT LABOUR DEMANDS.

AN EPICUREAN WORKER.

When the Musterers and Shepherds' dispute was before the Arbitration Court in Duncdin last week, Mr W. Scott, who conducted tho case for the sheopowners, stated, when discussing the workers' demand f or "one pound of butter per man per week," that tho employers had no objection to tho men getting butter. A'i a matter of fact, they got it now, but w.bat was objected to w;as tho embodying of it in an award of the court. If butter wore provided for in the award, the next time the dispute was before it the court would be asked to provide for jam. pickles, kmato sauce, and plum pudding—in fact, quite recently an a station in Otago tho musterers had struck for these items,—and !n the end the responsibility would be thrown on the court of working out a daily, menu for all sheep stations in the Dominion, and, further, if a shcepowncr lan out of any of the provisions specified ho would be liable to be prosecuted for a breach of award. The workers' representative and tho workers present ridiculed the idea.

At the Oamaru sitting on Wednesday Mr Scott, prcduced a copy of the shearers' demands in Canterbury, and very humorously read clause 29 to the oonrt. Tho clause reads as follows:—"The employer shall supply the following rations free of cost to tho shearers:—Oatmeal, tea., coffee, sugar, flour, rice, sago,' currants, raisins, fino salt, pepper, mustard, vinegar, butter (not less than lib weight per week per man), jam, milk, vegetables (to include cabbage, potatoes, and onions), mutton or beef, baking powder, cream of tartar, carbonato of soda, hops, dried apples, and currv powder, the same to be cooked in a wholesome manner and served in sufficient quantity. The employer shall also provide at tho shearing shed a properly-con-structed fly-proof mcatsafe for the use of tho shearers' cook. No food shall be supplied to shearers by contract cooks.