LABOUR.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13312, 14 June 1907, Page 5

LABOUR.

_-—: —!^Ba..."..' : y--y..y;, .._ A UNIONIST ~ , Press Association-By Telegraph-Copyright T c june 13. ■ A mass meeting of Unionist co"a?l lumpers and others thrctarcened to bring' ajjout an industrial crisis if *an attempt v 'were inado to crush their Union. /'...'• .;—.'. --X-— —■iv*q*m ■ " Per Press Association. ' The Trades and Labour Council has carried resolutions strongly protesting -against the increased price of. bread,^, uijjing the Government to prevent short-weight bread being sold, and to legislate to~p»&fcsat the food supply, of the colony being interfered with by trusts and combines. The Slaughtermen's Industrial Union of Workers has filed V it® it® proposals for an award, and application for a specialboard to''Heal with the dispute. The conditions of slaughtering for, the export trade wera settled during 'the recent sitting of the. Arbitration Court in* Auckland; the. agreement ;bring; incorporated into an award, and it dealing with slaughtering for local consumption which now requires th§«conditions of work to bt( settled: I . .-.. WANGANUIv.^une^iS. The Arbitration Court c6neiudedtoi&- sitting this, morning, when. dispute was continued from Palmers'ton, the evidence heard being in ;ithe nature of objections by employers to the recommendations of the. Conciliation Board., The Court will sit a* Napier on Monday, and later at Masterrixm. ; ■/?. ",,. . . wELLn<rGTON,> JMe 13. It is probable that/'the of the Wellington Domestic "t|hi6ri will be sent direct to. the ■ Court. The Union intends to aiskttie "Court to exercise the power of attaching-, employers by means of advertisements published in. the daily papers. „• IZ/UII MEETING AT ST. ANDREWS. The wci night militated against the attendance at the meeting held in the Library Hall, St. Andrews, onr Wednesday evening, to discuss' matters in .connection with the proposed Farm Labourers' Union. Mr B. N. Hawkes was called upore/tp preside. In the course of his address Mr Ell, M.H.R., said that nearly all classes of 'workers had combined, and why not the farm labourers? ■'. GeneraUjt. speaking, higher wages did not neeejfsfrily bring about higher prices. He quoted prices of locally made'.furniture to show.; ithat five years ago many articles were sold at a much higher price than at present, although 'in the meantime the wages of cabinst-makers had considerably increased. The price of colonial made was also less than it was years ago, notwithstanding the fact that the price had' increased enormously, and wasjes had also b?.sn raised. The farmers had nothing to fear from a -cbmbination of the workers, but they would ffth'd: that the Union would tend towards- r 'thcir mutual benefit. He would advise, however, before the matter camie before ''tlie' Arbitration Court, that a conference of the workers and the farmers sliouM-'be held, so that each could have an "opportunity of hearing the other's views, when perhaps by a policy of give and' take some agreement midlife be arrived aV without leaving everything to be";decided by the Arbitration Court. - •-£..- The Hon. Mr Barr said that he had often h°ard it ■said that Unions were rim principally by a f'w ■mteiwted individuals termed agitators, but he would h.av° them believe that the leaders of the Labour Union<? in this country at least, had one thought in common, and' t ; hafc wjrt?'- the general uplifting of Irnna.nilv. ■ The set of conditions presorted by* the f;irm labourers had bf.en drawn /up some years a<ro, and it stood' to reaS'on that many alterations would be marl" before the lopwas finally adopted. The auestiou of hours had sriven risa to of 'discussion, but eight hours a day did not neeessarily mean thai p. man should ?,tart: at 8 and lea.ve oft' at 5. There hours off.when th« hors. ? .<a would be fading, in th<* middle of the day.. . Then again, if through . wet went])°r thp.; men were idle for psrhans a week, it would' not b* rirrht if every advantage were not ta.ke.n of the 'fina. weather by perhaps working longer hours ; but this wvA other matters, the' f'-rme'-s won!' 1 find, slio'ildi have -every rnusiiWa.t.inn. He wa« pleased to s"e that in many parts, tlje, farmers' unions were, bring resuscitated', and' Lhi? he took to b" a. .ricrn fh*t th''' employers w.~.v.°, dirTir.=.,r.d to ennridty (ih4' matter worthy of dismission, although v'rn M'wm'on.ched y-rivni* time a<ro by the workers they would not listen to their' Tn answer to Mr .fiuh.es Eraser. Mr Ell said the farmers wouldj be expected to give profei-encp + 0 all other things ■ being equal. It whs not. contemplated tlr-it who wer?' physieallv unfit t" do a, full day'*- work shohld be debarred from employment, fm- n. r:l<'i.use rould be inserted making it lawful to employ such men at a lower rate. , ' ■ 'Yotes of thanks to the 'speakers and t!:'i chairman concluded the meeting.