FREEZING INDUSTRIES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLII, Issue 11456, 8 February 1918, Page 8

FREEZING INDUSTRIES.

PECULIAR POSITION REVEALED. (Per Press Association.) Wanganui, Feb. (!. A peculiar position is regard to the ITeozim: industry was revealed at the sitting of the Military Service Board to-day. A man mimed Bertram James Prosser appealed against being called up on tho ground that lie was an expert slaughterman, and slaughtering had been declared an essential industry. Appellant stated that lie was formerly engaged at the Cistlecillr works. Ho took part in tho strike of 1913, subsequently joining a new union and resuming work. However he',had been compelled to le ve work fifteen months ago, because other men refused to work with him. The companies all over New Zealand were willing to give him work, but the employees took tho stand that if any company employed him they would have to take tho consequences. He was an export slaughterman, and had spent £3OO in fitfeen months looking tor work. Captain Walker said the position was most peculiar. Appellant was asking for exemption as an expert in ru"essential industry, but lie was not engaged in it. If this statement was correct, the action of tho slaughtermen was an outrage. The case was one of blackmail. The military authorities did not object to the exemption of expert slaughters, hut if an expert was to be kept out of work by other men, what would be the use of exempting th emV Such action on the part of slaughtermen would load to the country soon being in the position that there would not he sufficient slaughtermen to carry on the industry. Mr McLaren said tho board should report to the Government, that the whole matter should dg gone into by a tribunal as the position of the industry was most unsatisfactory. His opinion was that there was one continuous feud between different actions, with faults on both aides. Tho Board adjourned the mse in order to make further enquiries.