SHEARERS' DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 865, 11 July 1910, Page 8

SHEARERS' DISPUTE

THE PROPOSED CONFERENCE. NEGOTIATIONS 3ROKEN OFF. A ;»IKETL\G AT CHMSTCHUHCH. illy Tclcßraph.-l'rcsa Asrocir.tiou.) Christchuich, July 10. .Negotiations for :i nmforenco between ilio shearers and sheep-owners havo boon broken oil' consequent on tho shearers declining to havo rates of slieariug discussed at any (onl'erenco.

A meeting of shearers and woul-s-hed h.'nids was licit! on Saturday uighfc, twenty-four being present. .Mr. La racy, general secretary of the New Zealand Shearers' and Wool-shed Employees' Association of Workers, stated that, the meeting was called to discuss the position they were placed in owing to the action of the employers in citing the union before the Arbitration Court to fix conditions and rates lor the coming sc:isou. Last season resolutions were forwarded from sheds throughout the Dominion affirming that no shearing should he done for less than -:> os per 100. Owners had brought down tho price from that figure to 15s, and the union had been endeavouring to get the old price restored. Two years ago tho case before the Arbitration Court cost tho union £150, aud if ever a case was proved in New Zealand it was proved on that occasion. There was a certain class of sheep-owners, men who could afford to pay 20s. per 100, who had made ih« minimum rate the maximum. Thcso were tho wealthy men who drive about in motor-cars and ran things in a big way. Unionists and worked for that rate simplv did so out of respect for the 'Court. Tho time- had arrived when the unionists were determined to <ret the prico that non-unionists got. The shearers had seen the foolishness of their ways in the past, and were "oinc to get 20s.—they did not say how, but they wore going to get it.

The North and tho South. The conditions wero absolutely tho samo throughout the Dominion. If a shearer woke up and did. not know how ho got there, he would not know whether he was shearing in a North or a bou'tli Island shed. Two years ago, before tho Arbitration Court, tho employers attempted to show that the North Island sheep wore heavier than thoso of tho South Island, and that tho conditions wero altogether different But what did they (ind them doing this year, because they were- federated into one body? They wero filing tho same claims in tho North as well a-s tho South, and they found Mr. Acland, the man who fought against the farm labourers, going to tho North Island to reduce the rates there. The sheepowners of Now Zealand had turned round and told him (Mr. Laracy) that they had no power to meet tho' representatives of the uuion in conference, because, though tho owners wero federated, they were not registered. Such a childish tale was never before told a body of men in New Zealand, and in itsolf it was cnouch to make every shearer, say, "I will stand shooting before I will shear for less than 2()5." He knew of no shearers in New Zealand who would shear for less. (Hear, hear.) After declining a conference, the sheep-owners cited tho union bei'oro the Court and asked for a reduction to 17s. 6d., while the price of wool is now higher than it war, two ye-ars ago. A fen , agitators among. tl\<\ South Island sheqp-owners had brought about the agitation for the reduction of the rate in tho North Island. Tiiat was clearly proved because North Island owners were seeking men at 205., r.iid any man in tho room who wanted a pen at that rato could get it.

Could They Co Back? During his recent visit to Otago he learned that owners who had never previously paid 20s. were oileriug that rate. -The previous oveniug he got a telegram from Mr. Wadcloll (secretary of tho Canterbury Union), stating that tho Canterbury owners wauteU a conference., but lio (.vlr. Laracy) had ascertained that tho owners wanted tho union to talra back- all about the 20s. per 100. Could Uioy go back? (A voice: "Yes, lor 20s. per 100.") Could they go back alter sending a cable to Australia I' (Cries of "No.") Ho had telegraphed in reply to Mr. Waddcll that he (.Mr. Laracv) would meet tho employers in conferonce, provided they conceded the 20s. per 100, as it was too lato now to discuss tho price. He made no bones about it that they had got the employers boat. Tho shearers had wanted peace, and nw, if the employers wanted light they would give it to them (Hear, hear ) He was proud to be secretary of the iinio.4, but tlie momojit the shearers accepted less than 20s. ho was going out of it. Ho had boon told that ho was going further than he ought to, that ho was ; (tempting to bring tho court into contempt, and oilier •..■mliif: things, hut what ho said was that the men had lx>eu "had" in the past. They had lost money, and had cheated themselves by accepting tho minimum rate as an .award rate.

Coing to Stay Away. Tivo years ago the judge had said that if shearers did not care to accept tho rate fixed by the court they could go away. Tluy were not goijig away. They wero going to stay away if they did not get 20s. por 100 Ho had no intention of inviting any shearer to strike, or of bringing disrespect on the court, hut ho wanted them to understand tint no ma'i is compelled to work at a rate with which ho is not

sath'fiod, or does not pay him tor the labour expended. They wero quite justified in selling; their labour as well as they could. The sheep-owner sold his products on the hest market. Tho, men who owned the back country stations, where tlio sheep are hardest to shear, who owned the stations that it, was costly to reach, were the men who had been paying tho minimum rate, whilst men shearing on tho flat, under more Favourable conditions, got 20s. Mr. Pryor had stated that at the sitting of the Conciliation Council in Christchurch ho (Mr. Laracy) had objected to have tho case dealt with in Wellington for the purpose of fixing a Dominion award. Hβ had said uothing of thesort. On the contrary, he had expressed himself as favourable to having a I)o----mmion award fixed in Wellington. There was no use of them looking for any great things being done in tho Arbitration Court on Thursday. At present they wero not shearers, and they simply refused to become shearers if they did not get 20s. per 100. Ho referred to Ijit rf-iiiilt of f,he "stav-jii-homo" manifesto 'issued to shearern in Now Smith Wales some years ago, and said that if prior to the issue of that manifesto, had agreed to 20s. a 100, the shoarers would have been satisfied, and would not probably have gone on fighting till they got 21s.

It was unanimously decided that tlio action of tho secretary lie endorsed in regard to tlio conference with the' employers, and also that the secretary's action be endorsed in telpcraphing to Mr. AVadiloll objecting to a conference unless it was agreed that the rnto should be 20s. per 100.