MEAT STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1672, 12 February 1913, Page 4

MEAT STRIKE.

GEAR & NGAHAURANGA START.

SUPPLY OF FREE MEN.

THREE HUNDRED ON N.Z. BOARDS,

STRIKE SAGGING.

Collapse of tho meat strike seems to be likely. . Eeprescntatives of the local companies are agreed that meat export works all over tho Dominion will soon be in full swing. • The Gear Company's works opened at 8.30 a.m. yesterday with forty butchers on the board, and, by noon, over four hundred sheep had been disposed of. All the new hands are yoiing men, and practically the whole' of them have had some previous experience of slaughtering. They' tackled their.work with a will, and, even on this first day, worked at a speed which exceeded expectations.' Theooinpany, in fact,- thought that it had yarded sufficient sheep for the-first day's work, but at five minutes past four there was nothing: left for the slaughtermen to , do. The tally for the day was just on 000 sheep. , , '■'..:■■'

A representative of the Gear Company, who was spoken \o yesterday, referred to the excellent spirit which the farmers had displayed in -holding their stock. "We appreciate very muoh," he remarked, "the assistance rendered the companies'by the suppliers in standing firm and hanging on to the ptock at a trying time." . '.

He .went on to say that the company is being inundated with applications, but only men who have had sonio previous experience of slaughtering are being em-! ployed. Several good men who could not start yesterday are expected to do so .today.' ,v

Similar accounts . come from the Wellington Meat Export Company's works at Ngahauranga, which had over thirty-five slaughtermen on the board yesterday, as against twenty on the previous day. .'

, : Telegrams received ' by tho. local, companies yesterday stated that, at Gisborne, 41 men were working with oompleto'satisfactory results, and that,at Pat'ea. beef butchers—men without experience—were making J6s. a day. The Patea works expect to have mutton ■ butchers' on , tho board to-day. Similar accounts were received from other, places. ; Taking: the Dominion as a whole, something like 300 new slaughtermen havo been employed by the companies under a promise of- continued employment. Bight hundred is the'full complement for. Now Zealand export work.

It is stated that tho meeting of the Freezers'i.lfnion, held at Petone on Monday evening, declared by a largo majority in favour of continuing work.' ■ The slaughtermen as a body havo ad-, .hcred to their intention of abstaining from-violent tactics. There.have, however, been a few isolated departures" Irom this policy. Ono or two of tho men who entered tho Pctouo works yesterday wore called "(Scabs," and a boner,'employed by tho Gear Company, was attacked by, a man said to have been a slaughterman on strike. Something/in tho nature of a battle-royal followed. The boner got tho bstter of his opponent, and the incident closed. Another case mentioned in town yesterday occurred'at Ngahauranga. It is reported.. that a freb was' struck with a billet of wood, and in this instance, it is understood, police proceedings are to follow.:'.

Mr. 11. J. Kenrdon, secretary ;of the Slaughtermen's Federation, whoreturned to town late on Monday' night, left again early yesterday morning, presumably for the Wairarapa. Ho is expected to return to-day.;, t ■;;.,. ;■ ~-, ■■:. ; . ri -;-,'.-:-\ ..-•

, THE GEAR WORKS. Yesterday morning the now men' engaged at the Gear ..Works quietly filed along Jackson Street to work. At the \ ictdria Street corner (which leads to the main entrance of the yards) a number of strikers had congregated, but tho hee labourers made off down the company's private road, and entered. the yards, thus avoiding any contact with the strikers. , Other men came'by motor- )ars, and.by 9 o'clock the whole forty were at vcik,. There,is one local; man amongst them, but ho is not a member of the Slaughtermen's Union. ■ )■".'■ Tho. Gear Company have spared no expense in providing all comforts for their volunteer slaughtermen, and at 10' o'clock sandwiches and tea were handed ' round. At noon the men were "taken'.to dinner in the large (but now empty) "fat house." whei'o a table was -prcad to accommodate about sixty. At .3 o'clock tea and fruit wore served, and' later on tho evening meal was dispensed. The "fat house-" was converted'into a huge dwell-ing-place. The bricklayers were set to work to put in a fireplace, and tho whole place is fitted witit electric light During the day the strikers wero very quiet, but congregated in a fair number at tho Victoria Street corner, apparently to wait for the freo labourers, but they were disappointed, as no one left theyaru. The waiting game was again in evidence at. 5 o'clock, but several of the free labourers departed for the train in small numbers, while others made their way to boardihghouscs, and even mixed vith.tke strikers, but no notice was taken of them. Seventeen of the new slaughtermen are sleeping in the "fat house," beds being made for them and blankets provided. No one (other than a worker) was allowed to enter, the Gear Company's yard, and an official was placed at'each gate, with instructions to allow no one in.

lii making inquiries, a reporter'learned that 32 men are expected, to arrive and take thoir places on the boards at villous times to-day. Several will arrivo in motor-cars, whilst others will come by rail.

BLOWS AT NGAHAURANGA. At Ngahauranga, it is reported that one of the free labourers received a rcugh handling en Monday. The word "stab" was used, and a quick exchange of blows followed. More sheep have been ordered for to-day, and judgihg by the way in which the tally went yesterday, in a wujk the output will be very near the usual. > ; •'. POLICE STRENGTHENED. 'The Petone police have been strength-: ened in anticipation of ; trouble. It is reported that the companies will not be keen about filling all fhe slaughtermen's positions, but will,keep a few hooks in order to allow any union men to go back should they desire. SHEEP-OWNERS' RESOLUTION. SUPPORT THE COMPANIES. ■ • Hastings, February 11. • Tho situation in regard to the striko was discussed at a meeting of tho Hawko's Bay Sheep-owners' Union this afternoon. Tile meeting was not open to tho press, but, at tho conclusion, the secretary stated that tho following resolution had been unanimously passed:-"That this meeting of sheep-owners approves of tho stand taken up by tli» freezing companies in regard to the strike of tho slaughtermen, and proposes to support the com-' panies to their utmost in the ovent of their active support being required." WORK OP NEW BUTCHERS. Hastings, February 11. Tho work of tho new butchers at tho Jocal freezing works continues to improve, and some very good tallies aro being recorded. Thirteen butchers were on tho boards at Pftkipaki yesterday, and the highest tally is 54. Sixteen men were slaughtering to-day. Eleven hundred and seventy-five sheep wero put through at Tomoana yesterday. TIMARU .WORKS TO BEGIN. Timaru, February 11. Both the local meat works restart tomorrow morning with free labour. Plenty of stock is offering, and no difficulty is anticipnted in carrying on to ~ end of the sen-'on. The local Fellmougers' Union have decided to handle the | licit.!, irrespective of what wen aro.on ,U"» kiiling-boftrdii - J