SHEARERS' PAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 921, 14 September 1910, Page 6

SHEARERS' PAY.

( SITTING OF COMMISSIONERS.. NOTHING DONE.' MR. LARACY'S TACTICS ASSAILED. ißy Telegraph.—Press Association.) ; , . Christchurch, September 13. . The now Jta'inoiw'shearers'; dispute nclranced; a further, stage. to-day, when it' 1j; .', r ;. 1 ■ came! -;.before: a 'Special" Commission, con-. fisting, of-, three. ..Conciliation Comniis- .:, sioners,'; Messrs.., J.,R;;;Tnggs! (chairuianj,; T. Ilarle Giles, and P. Hally. .. o/^Mr^Laracy.m^ -;.v'/' appeared; for': the- Canterbury -' Shearers'' " Union, and Jlr., W. ,I'ryor for the' Can-. •.,. . . terbup- .'Sheepowners' Union.. , .;.'/; - Mr.vTriggs.'said tliat rtKe .tbTee Coin-' -A missioiiers'.'.'Jiad;>heeh>. asked -;by /tk'e/.execii'.. iV" v.\ .'. ■ tive N of. the •'.Canterbury, .i Sheepowners : ' the'executive ■ of -the Cahter-; VccV'-'v; ;ttke:etidenoe ; rfti • K''''j>:;V'' : axid-'ifile ■ . ■ nientlationUn tliG matterwith. thß Clerk . .of Awards; They., wero sitting in quite o'Hyr\d:private,capacity :as' ; pri,v,!ite. individuals,- ■ ; and his coHeagues. would bc as well pleased. ; /' as he*himstdf''it' t.hey were'. ablo to 'file ■ : // ,-a recommendation that, would bie_ satisfac:A '■: tory 'to - both parties., Both, could 5;?;; rest. assured> that. the . Commissioners • iwould do their best to treat'them tairly. ' The-reason why ho'had suggested; that, tho dispute should be referred, to such a /■ '' tribunal was that ho had seen that the •' ! '• . Arbitration-Court had. been':placed in a ;;■fe^ ; awkward ; p6ntibn; and„that'the em- ; ploy ers'.were -similarly ■jembarrassed.-S'. He -. particularly-desired to save the Arbitral ; •-. •'. .2ion Act,'for' he. had seen. that if- tho ;.C;iiniohl'fee^^ '• going to libido'by''the decision' of the ", ...Court, it was'-"good-bye to'the .. Arbitra- . tioii Act.'".'Thoy could-all agree that ; '• that wpuld. be a bad day's work for the '. . .workers of New Zealand. '. ' Each of ■' the p.-twp'pMtjes.had'sigiiedira agreement that. [/whatever . might. bo- ..tho award of . the . Court it would - faithfully : abide by the' i:'..:";...'; jirbykipn of . the . award. / ' Employers' Viewpoint. , »' ,i.'. I .'; Mr. Pryor siiid 'that before going into the. '• ;. uierits'of the case he wished to. ascertain 'i(on' behalf of employers. definitely) .. • .!• • .what the. position' ivas. JAn undertaking [•hadbceii giv«ii,bybotV par lies; that I' ■ award; I- framed, ■ on ' the v 'recpmm.chdations' iS', .'of-tie .'Commissioners^^ fe'S. would ;be observed; aadfit was that.undertaking that had . made it .-.possible for .'parties -to^^'nsk. v \thc' : Cpmmis'sioners ti; : ?. . that/.undertaking, ,it would, have been impossible; for,- McuredAthe ;:Seryices;;'of ; ;pnly. > t' j ■:; . impossible,^but useless; }■il'fieirservices v in'g..!b^n'iobtaincd;'eihployerslibpeful ;: the-•' - therefore; s: ■' : ifpi.TA' 6 ?.iniiyth|rigvtliat-'"appeared 1 , i ;S,- the ■ v.- vidispiite.'butjj unless the position was sucli argument,' : ;'-wa3rii^less>for ; «prpce^ings\!tP ,> ; . - . ' tinued.' to refer to a meeting { " ' held at;,!'T\ T ai'niatei during tliel-. previous ; . .' . .week - ; at. .' which ' ,''3lx;ssre.' : ; ' r Laracy :. ' the' Shearers' Federation)- •.. .. ii alldc ", (secretary of. the- Canterbury union) and'- Costello' /(secretary >;/- of'.the Ota go Shearers' TJhion)'rwerepre- : all; he^;woiwd:L ; t6,; ; know ;' whether All. .-Laracy ■was :tho secretary : - of;..the^federation;;, whether.ji as sueli, he was ; chiev- 'eieontive.-.; officer,.', of- that r body j k Y^the'rfederiatioiivv-'byi ■■ itsconr.i,r'ules',l:'.cbntrolled; l: i the>/shearers,' of .-,the; : 3^miiuon^ : hv';>'"'- : V ' Mr. Laiacv- That is so. -fe' I Mi - ;.; \whether K;:; the,'^^Coininissioners^'• propped ;to ; deal \with i ' the',-dispute ;with a- view.. to . the framing of a Dominion award. ; • ; j> ;Mr^(;.Trigg!^ : must be: confined to dispute'.';of the p : ';i.Canterbui7^^ : Shearers' sUiiion\i--. ! <'C'>&'i

, - Mr. Laracy Challenged. .; . " Mr.- Pry'or 4hen-w.ent ; on':to refer-to }. the'"newspaper • jrep'ort. of the }Vaimat« . .. meeting.- ih\'Laracy;' ho said, had de~:; clared, that, if. they' did .not get' it (that iv*as.;^l'per/100):! there: would-be: nb\shearers this season Mr Laracy had also . stated f that .'they : ;had/ alright: nofc:'to go ;■...-- to.'.work.-until they,-got'their-price; and ; . . that was. il per 100: The-Court:' could :' '.say- what .it liked. -..' : yV?,-■.'-i:-'-^:f-j y •• -' llr._ Laracy • suggested: that '.the/ report was inaccurate, and -,that it should not be accepted by the council • When' ,by Mr. Pryor- to say de;v'fihitely:';wKet!jer' : ( or'j not ;he had ■ made the 1 /■; ■■ statements: quoted,--Itr,'' Laracy said that gv; ; inMnectiin/M^d''respects,■ >|v'?;.l)nt 'he; ; ;'^w'asi not-fg.oing'^tbsayr;where/:it '~ was right and where it was wrong'.;.:./' ijrifi >.Mr. Pryor insisted that, ''before; , the Laracy/ >:: :^'^hbuldV,give/^an; S'^'mighfvbe^ara^vn^byutli^ i Court, but also that no-steps . would' be i -taken to .'prevent.'men-.from accepting ; they.(desired it6'rdp,'s6. at:ttie;'rate: ■ - - fis&d . by-tlie nward,r supposmg 'that .-.'the: f'J/': Couct.^/ decided./ that.; the hrate';; should/ be' •%-.-;nhder .'per-100.-.'' .-' , -heated; discus-: Mon ■,'ensued; :: /Mr'i oTiiggs' 'supporting; ;Mr: Pryor; in iwhat he considered -,was-a' fair iequest,/'and : -.tliat' the, v-vli 'land':: that v^^tvidenjse'-i^slioWid-; ;,.\ther .discussion.' >/ i. :&,f fdeclar'ed < and it \ was ( preparedtp "abide by the li.f; award of /the; Court'.' : ; ! -irithputMsery^ pf ! '■'// finally .:► declared ?that.'Tie; : :;wdSdviiot : :;bß''ghg.ged;iii;; : give;; >;■ not .'hold i meeting?,/:;a!ndyadv|set:tlw;vmen-, v at . ther.^need.' not'Aworkr.'fpp. • .tlie - .minimum' rateKflxed-Vby.v.the.■spdurtVAVri.dJtliat | .. they would.be wrong in doing so, he- re-' • fused point, blank to.fgivo any..'such.;un-'-'&'der.tating;::fe'-- !^ ; Mr.: '.Trigg's:: ,vThen;;/tlvat sitf'ThiS'is'.An Important: Matter.'' Vi'..: r ; MK. : »l^y!:#yhis.'',i»Vtoyim^Htot?-ma^ ;/.;; ter;" andfl .don. l t.;:think/-'it,shduld.Cbe?; ;£,: posed; of so /hurriedly." : ;Tho ' feprwentatiyea. it/: of: :theVumon r -iM r/e^entlyi/divided: in.: : their.: they/:nieet/:Mr,' : '..".Triggsf. / Vi/''' : S// /iWi;' : We i.have;ralre'ady.,'signed that.' ,docunieM,';-ahd;:wej;-arei: quite'..., ;;; / pared to abide: by-'the findings of*, tho Commisaoners. '' : rV;'-: . '• i % ■,'After:'further; discufsibn ; ■ Mr. ; Hally.' re-■ '. /, .marked that whatthe: Com'miMidnrwahted . was ;that if thc Court found:'lDs.; as the minimum ''would':'uot' '-.Vgo Y^4uinpin^,.\lbV/-dduntryv/advising'.the : men not take: less' than"'iif:' ; ' .:• '/- ; ;,-;/' Mr. Laracv:' Any fair-minde<l body oi 'y; men .could.-not give li'sTthan ~£l. , •■' '. ■. Further; desultoryand:.acnmpnidus dis- / / crissipn'/iollowed,- and: eventually 'thc.con-, y.feren'ce./.'w'aij.'a to'.allowi r/ of;'Voiiie; cbmpromiM-'/heirig .'made or ,ar-, , '.langementf cqme-: to. ;'> / /, : 'v-|i; v /' : A On resuming ' at' noon,."Mr. Triggs said ';:;.tha:t'he- had.'drawn up. the) following iin-; :/', dertaking for: (lie' unioii -, : to'"agree to iTrl'Tliat,' inV-tli©:. event' of 'the, '.;/ award^/of;tlie;Arbitration .Court beiug less' ;:V than;V 20s. per 100, iid-- action' '' shall :■ be . 'taken; by . the .e'xecutive.'.:oilicei's: of ' the ;• Sheep, Sncarera' I'eilerationv ;;to >/- prevent. / ' ehearors -from - working' at/- the : minimum rate "

,: -'Mr.'vTriggs ndiltil that, there was nothing. to prevent an executive officer of v the, union to :,a'dyise ;,a : .man' to'.fget more minimum,.rate/'provided .that /• he did not interfere with; the'man Vwork. Mr., Pryor: -If Mr.!Laracjvsigned that : nndertaking' .'would iheT conSiderj: himself free .to give ..public addresses on the sub: ject. V'V;.- - -y : ... Mr. I.aracy: Ye 5..... . Continuing, Mi. I.aracy claimed .that it . ivas th»*: rislit. 1 of.[himself or any other jfficei,.. of ; 'tho . union the men 'hat 16ft.-.'was only ; the .minimum' rate. Mr. Jlally. saw 'no reason for Mr. : Laracy, ...or"any . other'.officer of',,tho ■ Shearers'l)nion, -g<;ing,'ronnd and preach-' ing doctrines t he. proposed.'-" . : ■ 'After some > further .'. disenssion Air: . Pryor said that if the federation would ' give ah' unde'rtakiiti;..that. ,Mr. Laraoy. or any other official of the federation would not go round the country giving »d- ---. dresses, 1 .-as : at' Waimate; .the employers were prepared (o go.'on. Mr. Triggs (>6 Mr! Laracy): If thb'em-' ployer.vhad d(me the same as you. haw, ;. yoiti would,. tpte;. up 'exactly the same stand as Mr.-Prior-hafe-V

• At' the • chairman's suggestion it wa3 resolved to • further tho conference ,J,ill two o'clock to see ii some conciliatory .arrangement could not be, come <to in'.tbe;'meantime. .On resuming" at two o'clock, Mr: Laracy proceeded to read a statement, but was . interrupted by Mif. Pryor, , who_ stated . that- the employers wauteai a straight-out reply, to their ohargos. . ,Mr.- Larnoy,' proceeded to argue that ho should :be allowed, 'to' read, the statement.""; ' The' chairman: After .was. has,appeared iii Uie. : public i>ress, you must enter 1 into a . publio'"uiidortaking ,to abide by- the de.- . cision- of the Court before this Commission' .will take, evidence. .. 'V ' Commissioners'. Finding. 1 '• After discussion' the chair''iaaii' gave ;Mr. jliaracyi permission to read ' his, statement whibli- he-' did. The state- ' ihent' was'fto the. ,effdct v that, on July 2G, it 'litid .been agreed ( to -refer ' tho to'three* Commissioners, and, during the 'sitting' of' the'; Arbitration..Court on the following day, the ; caso had;.been further, , adjourned" to , enable such, a course th bo : addp^;;r s -'There i.Tjeen • np justificii-i.tiori'-fori either parlyto': demand -further cppditiops.'isince-there had -been .already one-agreement in o.iisteiice.'- '' i. Tho- Chairman: All I, want' from you ,is:;lpy ..yp,'.!' agree •on behalf of thu federatioii to.'iwhat I drew, up?'. ■■ Sir.' - liaracyl'll ; give.i no' undertaking whatover, and, if 'compelled to. do so," I fsh?U. 'resign, my.' ppsitipn. ■: : If ; the. fcin-' ployera ■ wish;, to precipitate" a " great industrial'crisis, ■ oh;,their; be -itl"."; - ; )r;Mr. Pryoi; .m ;Mi. Xaracj, ' said -; that .' the • Canterbury 'Sheepowners' 'Uiiioh' arid employers hhd.inever refused ■to ; out: agreement; made, but, v#to , '-'iin''.official'^of/'tlie. i his; positibn L as to.' try- > and' incite 'the men to re'fusel to ' '205.-' .the employers I 'had ;taken"up" their' present stand. j-i ... ; The Commisioners at' this-|Stage, Tetired .to .confer,, and,';, shortly, after,. requested the , attehdancßof .'Mr.-^Laraey:: ; and. Mr.' i-*rjoi. ' nO., . ;. After the chairman •stated.'fhatr before.-annpuncing^the';Cpm r missißners'rfin'dingi' , 7lib :SvisKed>;'to,', know whet heK&r.' tara'cy;: was i prepared'. to sigii .5"-,!V^'■; Mr Laracy No '. Tl Mr;'''Triggs:.'i. : ls-i there-imy ".possibility of..':'Oie . and., employees.; coining, to any ngreeiiient at all ? r'^.-' .' '• '~;l -'.'Mri --Laracy,:;,-tlimk, vMr;'' Chairmari, thai that,is. for.you to say. i,■ ; ■ : f ; 'The^chairman',' then' ;'read::;'thb :Commissioners'; finding,' 'which . was. as - follows• The unanimous decision of. the'' (i' Cominissiohers.i is ithati : 'seeinK ; that the • . secretary .' of the Shearers' - Kederatioii . ".willnot --enter 'into'an''.undertaking,";,' • as .'suggested -by tho - employers, viz., h'riot-to;dd' any thing to-prevent shearers ■ vrorking : 'at ; less; than 20s.;per, hundred ■ (should the award, of the court be for ■ ~: less than that : rate);; the"Commissioners A ;:,;.cahnbt:: make '-hiiy, -recommendation. '. ;■ ' - The ; chairman; said,- that ho - would.' liaye J liked a settlement to bebrought about, and,;-he; regretted-; the i''posltiiiii/ that" had arisen.- Tho l conference 'then closed.v...-:-yy:y,■' r 1