SHEARERS' DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 924, 17 September 1910, Page 6

SHEARERS' DISPUTE.

■ DUNEDIN PROCEEDINGS. ADVICE BY MR. TRIGGS. (By TeloEraph.—Presß Association.) Dunedin, September 16. The Otago shearers' dispute came before the Conciliation' consisting of Messrs. Triggs aAd Hally. The case >vas practically the same dispute as the one heard in Christchurch' on behalf of the Canterbury shearers, where no agreement was arrived at. Z Mr. Pryor, for ' the .. Sheepovmers' Union, asked the council to the matter to the Arbitration Court. Tl«y had no; evidence to offer... ; Mr. Laracy, for the men, protested ngainst the attitude of the Board of Inquiry in. Christchurch in not taking evidence'. He had come to , tho con-, elusion that a light was being forced on the', shearers,who .would , have, to come, out and protect themselves as best , they, could.. . // ■ -" .■ ; . i 'Mr/. Triggs said, that when .this- dispute left, the court/-lie' suggested reference of: the matter .to . the.'. Cohimissioners to take evidence; .and make .a recommendation, . but the Commissionei;s wanted an undertaking from both sides -to abide by the . award of. the court. /-After, the Commissioners made a recommendation,, both .sides, signed such an-undertaking which had been millified' by' the' action , of>' the' representatives of the. union. ' The .latter, practically- dictated /to: . the ' -Commis-,

.Mr.. Laracy said the' nnibu Avas will-; ing-to accept any arfard' of ,th'e- Court, .and. abide'by. it conscientiously. . j\lr. : Triggs replied that if Mr. Laracy and.'Mi;. : Eryor. would iput.'their heads together to bring the Commissioners out of the ..difficulty, the , latter : would help: : , , After a private conference with tho* .parties, the 1 Commissioners \ adjourned to AVellington . on '- Wednesday, next. ,This was. done -to- enable the -shearers' to confer with .'the head' of ;their federation! WHAT MR. LARACY SAYS. "FIGHT TO A FINISH." / Mr.' , Laracy. delivered a speech |at , a meeting of shearers in the Trades Hall tp-night.''' He/'said the' men had done their best, and there, was 1 ahead ' but tlio; sblid fight 'ito- a'finishi - Thoy had.:tried- 1 every possible .means■■ to effect \a ; -settlement,. but, could - not ;do; so'.; Bien.'the. employers cited ...tliein,' . with the object of bringing about - a /reduction of ,6d.* : a hundred. : ,They' had advised tho Australian men not /to coino over until a . settlement ,was. brought,about./ H'el had , letters from Ishearers: in' Australia to .the- effcct',that 'they -were not coming over, so they., had nothing to fear from them.- Mr. •Laracy. went on to. refer to tlis first, case at, Masterton, when nothing', was' donej- - arid • tHe 'sitting .in /Christchurch,/ :when/ I npthing : was'done,. and'.,to a .sitting, in l'ahnerston North, where nothing .had.resulted/'and;then to/Ahe, sitting here'/i' The. employers demanded an undertaking - frojn the ; union which lie had .promised- to give,: and. which ;, they, would' h'ave honourably abided by,- but he'hever.'got/Ei/chalnce to sign it. Tho undertaking meant nothing more than ,what;'was; already/ provided ' for/'in the , Arbitration.,: Act: Z itself .:; . He '• .claimed' that' ,the '' Board of Inquiry '. should ' hay;o' heard' evidence , arid /made, a/ recommon-, dation to tho Court'. .' /,/. '/' .'• /'. ;:'■/:■

: Forthcoming Wellington Sitting. Ho believed/that -if -an'./awaird ".'.was; made by.tlie ijudge!-on.'September 23,' at: Wellington, it wpuld'become a Dominion' ; award, but./it was up :to the Otago/ and,; Canterbury men; to start and. look! out for themselves. Ho wanted . those present to authorise him .to send a cablegram toi Australia,/notifying.! Aus-; tralian / shearers! of. the-position. They! icould'-get 30s,,'.just ;as/easily 'as- £1, ,'as; it-would-make:- very, little.^differenee/to; tlip/employlrsl ":!!He ;wahtodVtb/,/a«sure/ those/present,that/behind-theih .iri'.-this : fight! they - had '/some 1 • 'of ;/';,the '?biggest: organisations'/in! "Going to Win." • They';,would; light /it/as.ffair. worker s,/ : and, they-were. going -t0..-winf if .they had'; to'fight.it.;i_ -.-If. he/'could.'bring'ittbout a! peaceable/settlement,/be/.'yould,.';butV if, : they 'could' iiof .do' it 'peaceably, they were going to .light .• it.; They were, not '.goingv:'t6'./strike,'//they '..were simply, go-* ing- to/stay/away! from, this work. . As to the shed hands, he had been asked what tho:- executive was,/ going", to ,:do; Tho shed hands; had ,'never been before I thel'Cijurt; but ho maintained that tliey! were' a/- section.-': of the! workers';' they were not general l hands,/and .they were! as much '.entitled Jto! an .award/as /any; class, of /workers in'i New! Zealand. . . .He 'did not see how the Judgo' could refuse' to make ! ( :ui /award, for'' the shed hands. -;V '• -~ ■ -.'!.-■/!!!•'•,!'';/■::, r Position In tho South. :; .With! regard to tlie, stand .they .were going'to; take, . .Canterbury/! smd'; Otago were - in/this position—shearing would •be upon .them. before /an|y /settlement could be brought about,' and many men had sent' out for stands without knowing' what;they were going - to' get;. If a! man . had engaged a ! stand, in - any shed,, and. the price had not! been stipulated, no ; agreement .existed, and /the men could'go away. He did- not/think, there' was olie/shed in/.New Zealand that had ■ been filled at. less than £1,. arid he did not thiAkthe employers were objecting to, it, but. they, were .out to- beat- this organisation. A man .who ■ went - and sheared at- a,/shed .'on : the plains (presumably. Canterbury),; where the sheepfarmer was poorer,/' received £1, but when 'lie. went/, back' to shear for big, men, these offered ;2s.\less. .! ;! ''Put It Up To 225. 6d." ' Canterbury-men''were as' - 'solid as they could be, and:if Otago men stood solid he said : Let them go out and put tJie price up to 225.: 6d. If there-. was a struggle, it would be forced upoii them by tlie wool kings.. He did not think ten per cent! of the Australians, who had come 'over.'in'-previous years would come this year. ' Ho asked thenij. 'if they had got to, not to go out and exploit the .small man and try ,to i make him pay 255. because s-hearers . were scarce. .-• ' ■/ It was decided, to form -a . branch ofthe union locally. ■ A motion! was passed supporting the executive' in the action taken.in,regard to the, shearers' l dispute. ' : . / SHEARERS CONGRATULATED. '■ "YOUR FIGHT IS OUR FIGHT." , Christchuroh, September 16.. • Mr. Laraey,; general secretary of tho. Shearers' Union, has received telegrams from Mr. Semple,. ■ president of the Federation of Labour; and Mr., Glover, - its' secretary, congratulating the shearers on the stand they have taken. "Your fight'is our fight," is the burden of the messages. ' . 1 ,'