The Dominion. FRIDAY, JANUARY 10,1913' THE TROUBLE WITH THE SLAUGHTERMEN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1644, 10 January 1913, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, JANUARY 10,1913' THE TROUBLE WITH THE SLAUGHTERMEN.

Tub impression appears to prevail that the sla-ughtermen will -not, only refuse to continue working under tho terms of tho old award, which provides a rate of 255. per hundred for the killing and dressing of sheep, but that they will reject any proposed compromise between that figure anthe 30s. they demand. It at any rate seems, oertain that they wrll refuse the offer of 275. 6d. made by tho meat companies. l In the circumstances, it may bo taken for granted that there is trouble ahead for all' concerned. So far as the meat corndailies themselves aro effected, they nave less at stake that the: farming community,,; Or rather the sheepfarmers. The meat companies could grant the demands of the men and] pass on tho extra cost to the farmers and to the community at large. But they no,doubt realise that they. Owe something to their clients, and, moreover, itho farmer himself is growing somewhat weary of - being exploited! • . The, average LabourSocialist has been filled up with tho idea that the man on the land is fair game; that hq en joys, privileges and benefits from his occupancy of tho soil which should not only make him the special'target of tho taxcollector,; but which disentitle him to the. consideration at the hands of Labour which' is extended to' those who follow other occupations. As a natural consequence,. the farmor is not inclined to view the labour agitation' with over-friendly eyes, and .whan _ his pocket is, as ho thinks, unjustly attacked, he is not tho sort of person to tamely submit. The position in. respect of the. slaughtering trouble therefore Contains possibilities of a straight-out/fight between .the farming: community and the slaughtermen. Should the farmers deoido to fight tho questions in ■ dis- . pute thero'ejm be no doubt as to the ultimate iibuo': the slaughtermen, will be beaten. .

Viewing fcbo position dispassionately, there': cortoinly appears to bo a good-case' in favour of fighting should the men prove unreasonable. The union , has chosen a good timo from one point of view in which to spring 'tho /demands on the meat companies. It is now tho middle of tho busy season, and, moreover, the season is a ; little-late this year, so that for the balance of the period supplies of, fat, stock are likely to. bo rather heavier than usual. On the other hand,' feed is very, plentiful almost everywhere, and while no one would willingly, continue to keep fat stock in the paddocks when they were, lit for the killing board, yet if it had to be done a better year than tho present would be difficult to find. Then, again, so far as the future is concerned, 1 it is considered by many competent to form a sound opinion that it.-w.ould do no harm—that, in fact, it would bo a good thing for the country—if a check were placed for a season on the killing and export of owo lambs.. The export each year of . so large a proportion of tho pick of our ewe lambs has made itsfelf felt on the flocks of the country, as will'be seen from a study of the annual sheep returns; and with feed so plentiful and the demand for breeding ewes keen, the immediate Joss from a reduction in the number exported would bo amply recouped in the future.

_ But in additioriHo these considerations, there is the important and disquieting fact that even if the full concessions demande'd were granted, thoro is no guarantee that thero will not be a fresh set of, demands, still more exorbitant, put forward a year or .two. hence. In 1910, when the slaughtermen were granted tho increase from 235. per hundred to 255. per hundred, the meat companies wanted the agreement then entered into fixed for a period of five years. This not being possible under the Arbitration Act, three years being tho limit fixed, the following clause was added to the award:—

"Tho Now Zealand Slaughtermen's Association shall further agreo to undertake by means of separate agreements to use its best endeavours to renew this ogreement in all its essential details at tho expiration of the above-montioned term for a further period of two. years." Now, at the end of threo years this undertaking is, repudiated, tho pretext put forward being that certain companies had not adfiovcd to it in some particular. It is felt by many interested in tho meat trade that the beat safeguard tho farmers can have against these recurring demands is to face tho situation in a practical, way by gqtting such of their number as aro skilled in butchering to do the killing and dressing themselves, or to get their sons !ip t-r.ko lip tho work, They would ue slow at first, no doubt, but by next season there would be a fresh army of skilled slaughtermen available in the Dominion, and a body of men who could be relied on to act reasonably. To many of the small farmers and their sons tho annual cheque which could bo made in this way would be very acceptable. Slaughtermen at tlw existing rata of pay aro said to earn from" £0 to £9.

per week during tho Beason, which sum, however inadequate it might appear to the existing body of slaughtermen, would be regarded as a handsome. wago by tho email farmers' son and many other people as well.