SHEARERS’ AGREEMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3100, 13 August 1913, Page 16

SHEARERS’ AGREEMENT.

MACHINE VERSUS BLADES,

POSITION OF COOK. (From Our Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, August 5. The arrangements recently entered into by the Shearers’ Union has fixed the puce of shearing and cooking for shearing for the ensuing season, and the men are looking forward to a busy time. Speaking to a Star reporter one shearer of lengthy experience said that the chiet feature of the work now was the return of the blade shearer to popularity. Last year, he said, in Canterbury there was a keen demand everywhere for blade men, and the same demand was found to exist bo. h m the North Isaml and in Queensland. > ‘ 1 was out of the game for two years. ’ ho said, “because of the influx of machines, but last year I came into the business again, and this season I expect the demand for hand-shearing to be even better than it was last year. The machines took on well, and many farmers adopted them, Thcv have advantages, but it has been found that the sheep shorn by the machines do not give any more wool m the second year, and that where they have been burnt by the sun no wool grows at all. The machines, by cutting closer, take off more wool on the first cut, but in the following season the growth of the fleece is no greater than in the case of the blade shearer, and the cost per 100 comes out at the same price. In addition the machines demand experts to look after them, and on two stations I was on last year the men were idle for over a week because the machine went wrong. In Queensland, 100. it has been found that where sheen are shorn close the strong sun burns the roots of the wool, and the lleece in the following year is ruined. For those reasons the blade men ore coming back to popularity, and the demand for them is good because most ot the men who come inb> the business now are machine shearers.” Turning to the develoinnont of shearing in Canterbury, the shearer stated that one of the most striking alterations in Hie Inst 10 years was the increase in the s’ze of the' sheen, which now carried much heavier fleeces than they did in the eailv days Some of the bier stations could boast sheen that I—ked like rams: they were so> large. ' v ith the heavier fleeces the work was harder, and with the return )n the blades the bigger sheen would be found to give the work additional heaviness. . . One of the hardest nos it ions in connection with shearing, ♦*>« shearer went on, was that of rook. The cook was able to earn his money in wet weather or in fine, but the shearers were difficult to satisfy and the hours were loner. “ T worked as cook’s mate last yea'-.” he said, “ and I can tell von it’s as heavy as anything yon want T started in at 4 in the morning and toiled on until 9 o’clock at night and I was goine all the time. I was paid 27s 6d a week and found, hut the job was worth half as much again as that and I think then the pay would not be too

much. Cooking for shearers is harder than people think, and it should he P alc * more for than the agreement allows.