AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL WORKERS' NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 25

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL WORKERS' NOTES.

By Steve Boreham. On Wednesday, the 4th of March, the hearing of the dispute between Th« Fin&l the Otago and Southland Roand sheep-owners and the Otago in a Frieadly and Southland musterers Fight. was brought to a close at the Courthouse, Oamaru, before Mr Justice Sim and Mr J. A. M'Cullough (the workers' representative 1 . Mr Pryor, who represented the employers on the Arbitration Court, was not present, having been called away to Wellington. Mr Wm. Scott argued the employers' eide of the dispute, while Mr S. Boreham appeared on behalf of the musterers. Several witnesses were expected to give evidence, but only one turned up. Fletcher Taylor, a I musterer, said his dogs cost from £5 to £6. I When mustering he worked from 10 to 15 | hours a day. He sometimes had broken 1 time owing to fog, rain, etc. He would sooner be mustering than have broken time, as it was most uncomfortable camped out on the hills in wet or foggy weather. He voted for the union's proposals because he thought mustering well worth lfts per day. He had mustered at Benmore station for six months during the eeaeon of 1905 and 1906, and received £2 per week, and something extra for Sunday. He forgot what he had received extra for Sunday. Mr Boreham (secretary of the Musterers' Union), being sworn, said he had nothing to do with drawing up the union's proposals further than putting them in form for presentation before the court. He did not vote on them. The union was fonwd for the purpose of averting a strike. Mr Scott said he did not propose to >all evidence. He would, however, address the court. He attributed the non-appearance of his witnesses to the fact that an important sale was taking place at Otekaiko. He contended that the union had failed to make out a case, and had not brought one jot of cv idence in support of the demands it had made. On the other hand, the witnesses called by Mr Boreham had clearly shown that no dispute existed, and that sheep-owners and their employees were working in perfect harmony till thie union came along, which, according to Mr Bore- i ham's sworn statement, was the outcome of I an agitation by 20 men at Alexandra, not one of whom had advanced any reasons why their wages should be raised. There I was not a tittle of evidence to show that ' there was any need for alteration. Out of I all the witnesses summoned only a few had appeared, and no complaint had been made by those who did appear. Mr Scott th-en went on to deal with the union's proposals clause by clause. Mr Scott concluded a I lengthy and well-thought-out address on be- I half of the sheep-owners by asking the court to refuse to make an award, as it had not been shown by Mr Borebam. or any of his witnesses, that an award was needed or desired by the 3000 musterere employed in the Otaao and Sovuhland industrial district. With regard to preference to unionists, the union was not entitled to thie, as the great majority of the men were not members of the union. Mr Boreham : We do not want preference. Mr Scott : "Why did you ask for it? Mr Boreham : We have changed our mind. Mr Bore- J ham then addressed the court at length. reviewing the evidence given at Alexandra and Dunedin. He said it was amusing to hear his friend Mr Scott twit the union with not bringing witnesses forward to support the men's proposals, although a large number had been summoned to appear. He would remind the court that Mr Soott promised at Alexandra that he would bring evidence at

Oamaru to refute the evidence given *| Alexandra. The court was also promised that several 6h©ep-owners would be brought forward. Whore were his friend's witnesses? At the Otekaike sale^-which, according to Mr Scott, was of more importance to his clients than the few extra shillings per day the union asked should be paid to- their men.- Be was sorry ,rf the union had not made out a~ case. This' should be a cause for- rejoicing on the part of his friend. He was confident that his union had made out a case sufficiently strong to warrant the court awarding the members of the union the wage asked for — namely, 10s per day. "What did the evidence brought forward by his friend go to pro\e? Why, with the one exception the evidence of every witness put in the box by Mr Scott went in the direction of showing that the demands of the union were moderate. The evidence of Mr Harold Studholme, for instance, ehowed that that genJ tinman was paying his shepherds more than the union asked for. With regard to Mr j Paliillo's evidence, he would ask the court to cast that to one side. That gentleman ask^d the court to believe that a man receiving only £62 a year could save sufficient to buy a sheep run or a farm of 1000 acres. This, in his opinion, was asking too much, and therefore ths rest of that witness's evidence should be treated accordingly. The union's contention was that the men had a grievance. This had been clearly proved by the witnesses he bad put in the box, and supported by witnesses called by Mr Scott. Mr Waddle, of Clyde, swore, and Mr Scott in cross-examination did not shake his evidence in the least, that for mustering this season he received £3 per week, 10s for Sunday work, and a bonus of 10s. Let the court compare this with the evidence of Mr Trevathan, who said he was only receiving £2 per week and nothing for Sunday, notwithstanding that he had worked 16 hours on Sunday. Did this not show that a grievance existed? Why should Waddle receive the wage he was getting, and Trevathan, for exactly the same work, under worse conditions, be paid 50 per cent, lees? His friend promised to oxplom this, but had failed to fulfil his promisp, offering as an excuse the plea that hi- witnesses were attending an important Bale in the district. WheTe were the managers of Omarama and Hawkdun, stations, and why were they not present? Because thoy are, and have been, paying the wage asked for by the union. Mr Scott : That is not so. Mr Boreham : Will my friend deny that Omarama and Hawkdun stations are1 paying their mus torero 10s per day? Mr Scott : Let me put. in the managers 1 i letters. Mr Borehain : Let me put in my men's letters. My friend should have had ' these managers present, as he promised, j especially as the owners of the Omarama | and Hawkdun stations were two of the i three owners who objected to the Concilia- ' tion Board's recommendations, and thereI fore were the means of bringing the dispute | before the court. He contended that the court should embody butter in its award. Mr Scott said the owners were supplying butter at present. Then why object to its being embodied in an award of tho court. Such a provision was in the shearers' award, therefore the court would not be setting- up a bad' precedent. Mr Scott was very much afraid of speaking about preference to unionists. His union did not, press for thie, as it recognised its obligations to employers were such a demand granted. He concluded by asking the court to give some consideration to the recommendations of the Conciliation Board. If they .compared the evidence of his witnesses with that given by the witnesses called by Mr Scott he had no doubt that musterers at any rate would be awarded 10s per day. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. F. R., "Kokonga.— Both the Times and Witness published a very full report of the proceedings in the musterers' dispute at Alexandra and Dunedin. As you will see by the above, the case was concluded at Oamaru on Wednesday, 4th inst. The award of the court will be delivered within a month from the date of the closing of the case. It may not come into force for another month, in which case it would not be in time to cover the fall mustering. L., Moa Flat. — I have written to j'ou stating the position pretty fully. Rae. — Write out your complaint and post it to Mr Haymcs, secretary Trades Hall, Dunedin ; or Mr P. Hally, inspector of factories, Dowling street, Dunedin. W. 8., Kurow. — I have been very busy during the last six weeks with Arbitration Court business. In addition to this I am cngaded on the Mosgiel railway duplication works, and I do not want to lose my work altogether. That is the reason. Several Members of the Union. — I have written to each of you. Thanks for good wishes. Burey, Kaikoura. — Your lelter to nanrl. Tho caeo was finished at Oamaru on Wednesday, 4th inst. Y-es ; would go to Marlborough if matters of detail are arranged by- your people.