SHEARERS' UNION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2935, 15 June 1910, Page 10

SHEARERS' UNION.

GENERAL SECRETARY’S ADDRESS. At the Trades Hall on the 10th Mr M. Laracy, general secretary of the New Zealand ‘Shearers and Woolshed Employees’ Industrial Association of Workers, addressed a meeting of members of the association. There were about 35 members present. The chair was taken by Mr J. E. MacManus. The Chairman said the meeting- had been called for the purpose of asking the men to carry a. resolution endorsing the action of the Shearers’ Union in refusing to work for less than £1 *- hundred.—(Applause There was a move on foot at present to federate all the unions, and the employers were already taking steps to oppose it. Mr La-racy, who was received with applause, said the membership of the union was increased last year by 2500, and tb® union was not half ’ organised yet. Last year he carried out some organisation work in Otago, bu( there was further work to be done. He hoped the workers would assist him in'the future as they did last season. The Labour Department had refused to register the union, as it covered a number of bodies in different parts of the Dominion, but that difficulty had been overcome—point after point had been given away, in order to gain registration, and the shearers were now registered as a large body. “ We are now going to fight tooth and nail to have the points deleted from the rules put back again.”—(Applause.) The sheep owners were federated throughout New Zealand, and it was decided to approach them and bring about a conference to draw up a scale of pay for the shed workers. The speaker communicated with the secretary of the Sheepowners’ ■ Association, but, though he waited for three weeks for a reply, he did not get such a courtesy. At the same time the sh-eepowners were doing all they could against the interests of the union. This cablegram was then sent to Australia: —“ Trouble brewing in Maoriland; advise Australian shearers not to make engagements here without consulting officials of the union.”—(Applause.) The men were justified in asking for £1 a hundred. The union was not fighting for any one class of the shed workers, but for all of them --shearers and shed hands.—(Applause.) “ We are assured.’’ said Mr Laracy, “there will be an award made this year for th® shed hands, and it will be an improvement on the conditions of the past.” — (Applause.) Last year he met boys workins’ for 15s a week, but 30 miles away there were boys doing the same class of work for 3Os. A boy should not work from half-past 5 in the morning until close on 6 at night for six days in the week for 15s a week. A portion of the press was, as usual, siding with the employers. The union would not encourage a strike. Its members took up the position that they would not make engagements unless they got £1 a hundred, and there was no law to make them shear. Australian shearers had written to him to say they would not com® over to shear under the price. The Lyttelton Times had pointed out that there wes plenty of free labour here to do the work. But that was not the question. If the men did not get £1 a hundred they would not do the work. If there was free labour let it do the ■work. A Voice: The sheepowners did not get it last time. Mr Laracy agreed, and asked the men not to make engagements under £1 a hundred, and to do their best to induce others not to be in a hurry to make engager its except at that rate. “J assure you, you will get it,” added the speaker, “ and in getting it you will only get what eight out of ten of the eniplovers in New Zealand are paying already. It is only the _ big employers who have back-country stations as a rule, where sheep are band to shear and where it is hard to get into the sheds, who are objecting to pay £1 a hundred.” "VVifch regard to the shed hands, now thet the union had moved to take cases before the court it also behoved the men to consider the

position. A meeting of shearers in Christchurch passed a resolution urging shearers not to make engagements at loss than £1 a hundred unless an agreement suitable to the shed hands was arrived at. For himself, however, he thought the men would be justified in accepting engagements at £1 a hundred. Mv Justice Sim had dealt fairly with the men in the wet sheep difficulty, and the judge, he thought, would not go back on that clause. “ There are only three things we are really anxious to get,’' continued th© speaker. ‘‘We want something done irogarding wagging; wo , want a price fixed for crutolling; and we want £1 a hundred.” I A Voice: We also want preference. ! Mr Laracy; Yes, but the price is far more important than preference. Although I am in favour of preference, I would rather shear with a unionist at heart than with five compulsory unionists.—(Applause.) In the time of trouble they could depend on th© willing- unionist, but not on the forced man. The late secretary was given to understand from the Labour Department that an amendment would be made in the act to allow the union to get an award for the whole of the Dominion. A petition had been sent to th© Minister of Labour -asking- for that amendement of the Arbitration Act, and there were 12 or 13 members of the House who were pledged to support it if it came down in the coming session. One award would then cover all the pastoral workers. The Musterers’ Union and the farm labourers in Canterbury were willing to cancel their registration if the Shearers’ Union could see its way clear to come out and organise them. The time had come when all country workers should be organised into one body. —(Applause.) Let them get into a solid union, and it would be all the better for all concerned. He hoped the day was not far distant when all the workers in New Zealand—not only the country workers be united in a solid body.—(Applause.) In Australia, as a result of the Labour movement, they had a Labour Government. Here the scale always went down in favour of the big man. There were not 10 per cent, of the shearers in New Zealand who mad© £2 a week, taking their expenses out of their earnings. Were the men justified, then, in accepting- £1 a hundred for the coming season? He thought they were, but if a resolution tothat effect were carried he would ask them to wait until notified before making any engagement. His reason was this: he would know on the following night in Christchurch the opinion of the executive on the matter, and if they decided to make engagements at £1 a hundred their first duty was to send a cablegram to Australia letting the men there know the position. “ They have refrained from making engagements, they are sticking to us, and they should have the same opportunity that we have of getting into the early sheds.”— (Applause.) Ho asked the workers to assist the organisers who-would be out in Otago in the coming season in the interests of the federation. Mr S. Boreham moved—“ That an agent of the Shearers and Shed Hands’ Association be appointed in Dunedin, such agent to be a member of the association, and that no member accept engagement except - through him, and on no condition whatever accept engagement through a labour agent.” The motion was seconded and carried. Mr W. H. Rust moved—“ That in view of the fact that disputes are being filed . on behalf of the she'd hands, and as the court will undoubtedly miako an award for ■ this body of workers, this meeting is of opinion that shearers should now engage stands for the.® coming season, provided they engage at not Jess than £1 a hundred.” The motion wals seconded. Mr Lacomte moved as an amendment, and Mr Boreham seconded—“ That no shearer shall engage a stand until such time as an award is provided for the rest of the men in the shed.” After a discussion the amendment was carried. The Chairman proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Laracy for his address. The shearers should be proud to have such a man as secretary of their organisation.— (Anplause.) The motion was carried unanimously. Subsequent to the meeting Mr Laracy received the following telegram from Mr Abbott, secretary of the Wellington Branch of the union:—“Personally cannot agree to engagement under any circumstances .until decided.” This means, Mr La-racy explains, that an award must be given for shed hands before shearers accept engagement.