FREE LABOR

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17186, 9 November 1926, Page 5

FREE LABOR

FREEZING WORKS OPEN COMPANIES DETERMINED A MODEST START MADE (Per Press Association.) NAPIER, last night. Killing was begun at the three freezing works this morning, and the wori~ was carried out by free labor with asfistanee of instructors from this district and elsewhere. So far as can be discovered .none of the strikers applied for work, but a most satisfactory beginning was made. All indications lend to the assumption that the companies and the fanners are firmly fixed in their determination to stick to their guns, and both parties have an abounding confidence that before the end of this week work will proceed on a large:' scale and with the •utmost efficiency. To-day's beginnings were necessarily modest;'and no attempt was made to deal with anything beyoud what the volunteer workers could handle with ease. Practically all of them have been used to similar work, and were reported to have adapted themselves to their duties with unexpected readiness. There were no unpleasant incidents at any cf the works, and volunteers were allowed to go about their duties -entirely unmolested. Pickets were placed •?at all three works. At - two of them those on duty did not wait long, but at the third" al patient watcher was quickly sent about *his business by a constable. It was a wet and rather ■unpleasant morning, and he was no doubt glad of a reasonable pretext to go home. ABORTIVE CONFERENCE FARMERS AND MEN MEET A futile attempt to find some solution, or partial solution, to the freezing-works trouble was made at Hastings, when about 40 farmers met some four or five hundred freezing workers in open confcrence. Nearly three hours' talking by representatives of both parties could, find no common grounds of agreement, and the position is as it was. Some chance that the discussion would he saved from complete futility appeared when Mr. A. MeLeod, who acted as spokesman for the workers, moved.tho .following resolution : " That in view of the common interests of those freezing workers and farmers present this afternoon, a deputation of the" farmers lie selected' to form a deputation to accompany the mover to Wellington to confer with the union executive there; and afterwards to form a joint deputation with the union leaders to go to the acting-Prime Minister and to the Minister of Labor to ask him to take a hand in this matter." Mr. McLeod's motion was first put as an amendment to a motion by Mr. T. E. Crosse suggesting that the union call a special meeting and take a ballot on the question of working, in accordance with the union rules. The amendment, becoming the motion, was overwhelm- ' ingly adopted, and at the end of the meeting the farmers present, proceeded to discuss it. The upshot of a full review of the suggestion in Mr. McLeod's motion was that, on Mr. 11. N. Stewart's motion, the suggestion be adopted conditional upon an undertaking by the men to return to work. STRIKE AFFECTS BUSINESS. The trouble has certainly had a depressing effect upon business in Hasjt"mgs, which is the centre of the affected area; and which, because of its beirig the shopping centre for almost all the Workers, has quickly re-acted to the unemployment in its largest manufacturing industry. There has been some tension among retailers especially, and tho uncertainty as to what attitude the workers will take has made them cautious of undertaking business commitments aa large as are usual with Christmas only a few weeks ahead. Thus business has been made dull generally. ajnd Jfoe effects have beer* reflected upon the freezing workers more, than upon else. Retailers are almost generally not at all willing to continue their credit—and credit to the freezing worker in the off-season is an economic necessity. The main street of Hastings on Saturday' afternoon was unusually crowded, and at many points large groups of the works employees had gathered for a sort of informal meetinsr. There were some hundreds of them in town, biw any appearance of dogged defiance in the face of misfortune was entirely absent. (

An official denial ha.s been given in ""Wcilin'rton to the statement telegraphed from Auckland that Mr. F. Hally, Conciliation Commissioner, has been directed by the Minister of Labor to proceed to Napier in connection with the slaughtermen's dispute.