FARMERS' UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 17, 20 June 1913, Page 2

FARMERS' UNION.

TilK NORTH CANTERBURY BRANCH. FARM LABOR KRS' WANTED. TI-IE SHIPPING DISPUTE. Christchurch, June 18. The.pressing neocl- for-nioru laborers for farm work was discussed at a meeting of the Executive Committee of tlie 'North Canterbury Fanners' Union today. The following motion was carried: —''That this Executive instructs its representatives when attending the 150 minion Conference to use their best endeavors to get the Government to inaugurate a system of immigration, especially of suitable farm laborers, farmers with capital, and domestic servants, and should also endeavor to get the £lO impost on prospective immigrants reduced to £3. At the same meeting a letter was received from the Shaw, Savill and Albion Co. stating that copies of resolutions passed by the Conference in connection with the rumored proposed agreement between the shipping companies and the Federation of Labor had been received, and the resolutions conveyed to the Colonial Advisory Board of the company. The company hail not been approached, however, by the Federation of Labor, had no intention whatever of meeting them under existing circumstances.

A letter was also received from the New Zealand Shipping Company, stating that the company was at present working under an agreement with the Federation of Labor at most ports in New Zealand, except Timaru, where it considered that the agreement was cancelled by the Wharf Laborers' Union very flagrantly breaking its chief condition. The company was working at Timaru with free labor, and had no intention of taking on unionists so long as there was a free laborer wanting a job. In all matters regarding work at that port the local manager had instructions to be guided by the wishes of the local committee, which was regulating the supply of labor. Their company regretted that by erroneous statements in the newspapers people had been led to think that the shipping companies were desirous of upsetting free labor at Timaru or elsewhere, and it assured the Union that it had met from the first with the strongest support of nearly every shipping companv doing business in Canterbury. The letters were received.