THE SHEARERS' DISPUTE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14899, 30 July 1910, Page 9

THE SHEARERS' DISPUTE.

WORKERS' CHANGED ATTITUDE,

(I'm United Pnsss AsbocUtion.)

. CHRISTCHURCH, July 29. Mi' M. Laracy, secretary of the Shearers' Union, states that tho following ftgrcemeiiL haa been mado between tho parties to tho shearing dispute - "On behalf of the New JseaJa.nd Shearers' Union and tho Now Zealand sheep-owners, wo agree to accept the finding of the Board of Inquiry, consisting of the three Conciliation Commissioners, in tho same way as all workers and employere, within the meaning of tho Arbitration Act, are hound to accept the findings of the court —that is to say, we will accept the Commissioners' lindbg v/ith no limitations or conditions of any kind whatsoever, other than those which are necessarily imposed by tho ordinary language of industrial awards and of the act itself,"

Air Laracy, on being interviewed, said : " This is the agreement drafted by the union itself in substitution of the employers' proposals that it should bind itself 'to take no steps to interfere with shearers or prevonfc thorn from working for a minimum wage,' and it has now been accepted by the employers. It has also been arranged by Mr i?ryor (on behalf of tho, employers) and by myself (on behalf of the union) that steps should bo taken to induce the Board of Inquiry to sit in Wellington within the next two or three weeks, and that a few representative witnesses should be called :by each party. In tho meantime, tho Commissioners will bo collecting any evidence which they themselves thihk relevant. Their recommendations will bo made to the court, and the court wiJl consider it at its Wellington sitting on September 22. Thus you will see that no definite agreement can be made as to shearing rates and condition's until after September 22. With regard to tho shed hands' dispute, the attached letter, which was' sent yesterday to his Honor Mr Justice Sim, summarises tho present position, and I think 1 need not add anything to it to make the matter quite dear to the public. Following is the text of the letter to the Pretidint <jf the Arbitration Court" Sir,--With regard to the case of tho shed hands considered by tho Conciliation Commissioner yesterday, my union desires to know definitely whether or not tho Arbitration Court mil make an award in respect to theso workers. The j employers contend that the fact of the court-having declined to make an award in tho case of farm labourers justifies them in assuming that the court will decline to make an award for shed hands, or, indeed, for any farm or station servants. Our objections to this contention are shown in the ■ report of the hearing before the Conciliation Oommissicher, which, I understand, has been conveyed to you by the Commissioner. Unless we know definitely that the court is pre-. ■ pared to make an award it is utterly useless foMny union to go to the expense of conferring with the.employers in the different industrial' districts where cases have been, or are to be, filed. Wo are quite prepared to let one caso bo heard as a Dominion case, and have no doubt that tho employers would agree to this. If tho parties aro willing to make this agreement wo should be glad to know if tho court is prepared to settle the matter at its next sitting in Wellington, when hearing! the shearers' dispute, Your Honor jwill see that a definite pronouncement now from the court will save the country a large amount _of expense in the holding of sittings of tho Conciliation Commissioners in tho different districts only to put on record that the employers decline to discuss the matter of an award at all If both parties are sure that the court will make an award thoy will be supplied with tho necessary incentive to tho making of an amicable settlement, and' of merely asking the court to' ratify the agreement made,