THE SHEARERS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1199, 7 August 1911, Page 3

THE SHEARERS.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE. ' The third annual conference of tho New Zealand Shearers,' and Woolslied Employees' Industrial Association of Workers concluded oil Saturday. There were present: Jlessrs. A. J. King (in tho chair), M. Laracy (general secretary), and the following delegates: Canterbury, .Messrs. J, Purvis, C. Johnston, and W. Boon; Otago, Messrs. W. Johnstone and J. .Stewart; Wellington, Messrs. J. Nicholson, J. Cooper, and A. M'Leod; Marlborough, .Mr. J. Townsend; Gisborne, Mr. .1. Morgan (Maoris). The general secretary presented the bal-ance-sheet of the association to April 30, If 11, and read his report. These were discussed ,md adopted. Tho general secretary, in reply to a question, said the records supplied to him by tho late general secretary were: Canterbury, 1120 members; Wellington, 971; Otago, 750; Marlborough, '150; Gisborne and East Coast, 280; total, H589. The total was correct, but ho was not sure of the accuracy of the allocation to tho di tic rent district, and the figures were not clarified as to shearers and shed bands. Wellington certainly had over 1000 members. Tim general secretary then gave tbo results of the ballots which had been taken during tho last shearing season, viz., that the head office should be in Christchurch; that the price of tickets should not be increased; and that the Shearers' Association join with the New Zealand Federation of Labour.

The election of bad resulted ns follows:—President, idr. A. J. King; vicepresidents, Alessrs. Boon, Townsend, and Morgan.

The conference formallv endorsed the ballots as to location of oifice and joining with tho New Zealand Federation of Labour. HEM ITS DEALT WITH.

The remits on the agenda paper were ? hen dealt with, and the following resolutions carried:—■

That- Rule 53, providing for Uio appointment of organisers bo adhered to; that a balance-sheet be printed and copies distributed to tho, shearing sheds; that shed representatives receive 5 per cent, commission on the sale of tickets; that members holding more than one pen in sheds starting on or about the same date be fined; that an inspector other tnan police be appointed to inspect accommodation; that contributions for hospitals, etc., should bo sent through the union; that a bathroom should bo provided at all sheds, with one bath for every ten men, or part of ten men, with hot and cold water laid 011, provision for this to be made in the Accommodation Act; that the executive call the attention of the Health Department to the necessity of providing clean water; that the conference place-on record its approval of the manner in which Mr. Larocy conducted the shearers dispute, and of the stand taken by the executive to got the pound per hundred; that when shearers are engaging stands the words "pound per hundred bo inserted ill the engagement in lieu of "award rates"; that, Rule 99 in regard to wide-cut combs and cutters be strictly adhered to; that representation at the conference remain as at present provided for in the rules of the association. ■V deputation was appointed to deal with, the remits referring to accommodation, and to bring them under the notice of Mr. M'Laren, M.l'., and the Minister for Labour. , . , It was resolved that the secretary be empowered to write a.letter to the oheepowners' Federation, asking that where new sheds arc being built the space allotted to each shearer on the board bo not less than sft., and the width of the board not less than "ft. Gin.

POLICE AS INSPECTORS. The president reported that the deputation appointed to wait on the Minister for Labour and on Mr. M'Laren, M.L'., consisting of Messrs. M'Leod, Townsend, and himself, hod interviewed Mr. Lomas Secretary of the Labour Department, and had been informed that: it .was impossible for the Department to appoint other than police as inspectors under the Accommodation Act, and had admitted that the Act was not satisfactory in various ways, particularly in regard to their being no penalty clause in rc bad accommodation. An interview had ljeen promiced with the Minister for Labour, Mr M'Leod and Mr. Townsend also reported the result of the deputations visit to the Labour Department. ' The correspondence v/ith the Acw Zealand Federation of Labour in connection with the postponement of the Federation Conference was - laid on the table, and discussed by various delegates. , In regard to the Christclmrch Technical College's request b allow learners to work ou the: shearers' board. at. certain shearing sheds, without payment', it was resolved that the secretary reply that the union could not approve of this, and that it was contrary to the award, providing certain iriinimuiu rates ior all shearing.

CANCELLATION OF REGISTRATION

NOT FAVOURED. The president proposed the remit from fcanterbury branch: "That the New Zealand Shearers' and Wool-shed Employees Industrial Association of Workers cancel their registration." He argued tho matter at some length, and contended that' the «hearers would be better off if they cancelled their registration, threw over the Arbitration Court, and dealt direct with the sheep-owners. This matter was debated at great length by tho various delegates, and tlie consensus of opinion was that the shearers would be extremely ill-advised not to make uso of tho advantages t'he _ Gourt ; offered in tho settlement of their dispiuos while at the same time they endeavoured by' industrial organisation to benefit their" conditions still further. On the question being put the voting was as follows:—For cancellation of registration : Mr. King. Against cancellation: 'Messrs. Purvis, C. Johnston, W. Boon, V. Johnstone, J. Stewart, J. Nicholson, J. Cooper, A. M'Leod, J. Townsend, J. Morgan. > GENERAL. It was resolved that Mr. Laracy be appointed general-organising secretary at a remuneration of <£1 10s. per week, with permission to render what assistance he could in regard to getting advertisements for the "Maoriland Worker," and to procure at liis own expense .>ucli clerical assistance as he needed when absent from Christchurch, and that the head office of ihe Shearers' Association be in Christclvurcb. ' It. was resolved that Messrs. M Leod, Toivnsend, M'Kae, Nicholson, Boon, and Laracy be appointed a sub-committee to go into tho matter of necessary alteration of rules, and that tho amended rules agreed to at the extraordinary conference be re-scinded. ELECTIONS. Mr. C. M'Laren was elected as general returning officer; trustees, Messrs. Townsend and C. Johnston; finance committee, Messrs. Purvis, King, and Fitzgerald; representatives 011 federation of Labour Executive, Messrs. King, W. Johnstone, and Laracy; representatives oil Newspaper Board, Messrs. C. Johnston and Laracy. Resolved that the funds of the Shearers' Association should be conserved as much as possible with a view of sharing in any loss or meeting any liabilities that may be incurred by the newspaper since March 1, 1911; and that the matter of the period covered by the paper levy collected last, shearing season 1)9 put in She hands of tho executive. NEWSPAPER BALANCE-SHEET. The balance-sheet for the "Maoriland Worker" for September, 1010, to February 28. 1911, whilst under the control of the Shearers* Association, was received and adopted. The balance-sheet showed that -JOflO copies of (he paper had been sold to tlie miners, and 4000 to (ho shearers, at 3(1. per copy per month, and that these sales, with other subscriptions and donations, left a net profit nn the six months' operations of .£9B, which was deducted in equal part, from the sale-money of miners and shearers.