THE MEAT STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1676, 17 February 1913, Page 10

THE MEAT STRIKE.

| PROGRESS AT LOCAL WORKS. A NEW FEATURE. • CONTBACTOBS AND KILLERS. latest reports from" tlio local meat export works speak of increasing boards of slaughtermen and • correspondingly increasing outputs. The Gear Company intonds to put 011 a beef gang to-morrow, ancl hopes io roach an output of 2500 sheep per day this week. Similar progress is being made at the Wellington Meat Export Company's works at Ngahauranga. On Saturday evening a meeting of the executive of the Slaughtermen's Federation was held for the purpose nf receiving a progress report from the secretary (Mr. M. J. Beardon) and to endorse certain tentative agreements into which Mr. Eeardon entered, during a recent, West coast tour, on behalf of his federation; Mr. Roardon stated, on being applied to, that tho agreements are three in numbor, and relate solely to tho elaughtoring of cattle. They havo been macle between the slaiightermon and contractors, whose practice it is to buy stock from the farmers, send it to tho works to be slaughtered, and market tho beef in London at their own risk. Somo details of the agreements were withheld, but Mr. Beardon stated that the slaughtermen had been oifered an increafto of one hundred per cent on somo lines. Prior' to the strike they were getting 2s. per head for the slaughtering of cattle, and their demands, whicn were rejected when tho present dispute arose, specifiod a rate of 2s. <sd. per head. The contractors who have enterfd ' info tho -.now agreement havo undertaken to find; works in which the slaughtering can be carried out. The only difficulty, from tho point of view of'tho federation, Mr. Beardon remarked, was that it would hare to put its men into non-union 6heds. Acceptance of the terms ,of these ■agreements, lie added, .did • not entail accepting • employment from the companies. The scope'of the agreement was confined mainly to the West Coast of the North' Island.

The executive of the Slaughtermen's Federation, having confirmed the agreements at its meeting on Saturday 'night, it is expected that they will carao into force to-day. The local companies, it was ascertained yesterday from wia who is entitled to speak on their behalf, will refuse to be consenting parties to agreements such ns have been entered into by the Slaughtermen's Federation villi beef-contractors. Acceptance of any such arrangement, it ig held, would entail handing over control of the works to outsiders. It may therefore be takeu as pretty certain that tho scope of any agreements" of this character will be restricted to the smaller sheds. On Saturday night at Petono some fighting is reported to have taken place, and from the meagre advico-at hand, .it appears that some unionists were arguing against another party, and tho word scab" was used with tho* result that a fight ensued., No one was hurt.