FARMERS LOAD MEAT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17945, 24 November 1932, Page 8

FARMERS LOAD MEAT

PORT DUNEDIN’S CARGO NO CALL FOR UNION MEN 2200 FREIGHT CARCASES No call was made this afternoon for union labor to load meat into the motor* ship Port Dunedin, the work being undertaken by a, party of more than (Vo 1 armors and farmers’ sons, who responded to a call sent out by the farmers’ organisations. The intimation understood to have been given on the morning of the Port Dunedin’s arrival at Gisborne, to the effect that the waterside unionists would load butter and wool, but not meat, was considered sufficient warrant for taking the course ol calling for farmer labor, and when the volunteer labor took charge of the lighters this afternoon, there was some expectation of a demonstration on the part of the unionists. The union members, however, took little heed of the party of country workers, as it filed out of the freezing works’ yard to the wharf. There was a mild cheer, in sarcastic vein, and a- laugh or two from the berths where the Margaret W., the Waimoa- and the Pukeko were being worked in the ordinary way, these small demonstrations indicating that the waterside workers had been aware of the developments. There was no further notice, given to the farmerlabor, however, and the loading of the meat lighters went ahead apace, after a short period during which the men were accustoming themselves to the work.

It was the intention of the shipping agency to load 2200 freight carcases of mutton from the Kaiti works for the Port Dunedin, with the chance of catching Die Christmas and New Year markets at Home. Two lighters were prepared for the transfer of the meat from the wharf to the liner, and it was anticipated that the whole transhipment would he complete by 10 o’clock this evening.

.Some feeling was displayed by members of the Waterside Workers’ Union in regard to the failure of the shipping agency to make a call for labor to load the meat. Y)nn prominent member of the union stated that they were prepared to load the meat to-day, if a call had been made, while another member claimed that a breach of ti/o regulations respecting calls for labor had been created, by the employment of non-union labor under these circumstances.

WELLINGTON POSITION UNION’S LONG MEETING (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. A stop-work meeting of Wellington waterside workers to discuss the freezing workers’ dispute as affecting Wellington 'watcrsklors lasted from 8 a.m, to 12.30 p.m. to-day. It was not open to the press. Mr Cox, president of the union, afterwards said that nothing regarding the result could be released for 'publication until after a meeting of the executive this afternoon.