THE MEAT STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1680, 21 February 1913, Page 5

THE MEAT STRIKE.

"THE COMPANIES HAVE NO . .v ■ • • - J istrik^chit hardly.be'said any. •••.longer ttf exists so far as ,th« local, works •, . C.'.Tliei'position- was ' sum- ■ mdd ut) yesterdAy as ■ iolloVrs; by .Mr. W; G.i Foster,-of the Wollingtoii Meat Export ,• . ■/< Company:—'"Our projress is perfectly sab i, lsi,aoiory, .-ahd. fully up to. our ikpect&i . -ti0n5...... The only pressureat'tlib moment . • ffihndr ; htls, reference to, his fap4 'anibs. _ /Farmers vrant; td geV hs -■' litjibs as possible' fattened on their crdps ii.of^ratw..«i.onr aorrangehie&tst lit' Mjr opiir ion, will .adequately relievfe the farmer in ■ : this respect. As regards older sheep, the ' cq.jjitrj; is full, bf feed,'dnd the farmer is in'lid Way anxious. As yet there are no ' /'"cMplaihra frofii: farbiers.' .They.merely ■ express; ft'. Wish that everything possible : ' : 6hodld b6 done to relieve them consistent . with' the Carrying out of thi position that " the companies have assumed. , Esiept that tha .season will be somewhat : mor6 : pro- ." •; .Idilged 'thftn' 'of lata' yiaVii' tho "coin]3anies . havd no anxieties." . REBUTTAL ,FOR MB. REARDON; ' - .•By Tolograph.—ProEo'Aosooiatloh.)' PalmßrstoH, February 20. . In reference to a fc'taten&iit inado to the ■ Wellington press by Mr. J. Eearddn :(secretaryiof ~th 6! Slaughtermen's Union) re-' garditig an agreement arrived at between ■ the butchers at the: Eongburn Freezing : Works and Messrs. Wilson aiid Canham , (Of Auckland), to slaughter ii. lineof bulls • ( for'4s.-a-heild, •! which -tt-as i(K)'per cent thin tho Wellington killers were : receiving ,under i the last airard,: a local • bitsirioss. mah; states that ..no. such' thing as.an offer bf. 4s.~per. head was made by , Messrs :Wilson'"and-Caiihami-,. The firm .. .telegraphed fr'dm AUckMd .to ..- to ascertain,'ujion-what terms' : butchers < could be inducfd to kill a line of bulls, •i- ;;,find;-a,rejtly : wds sent thit local;butchers . word/ willing to kill,afc 4s. per.head,,provided; they . got, permission. froni '.the - . union,:-i Messrs. •-'Wilsoh and • Canham's - reply to (this was that negotiations must ... oomo-through: the freeing company, who ■ would only, allow tho present rate' (3s.' per head) to-be chafgedr; This price was ac- . . cepted by tho: butchers after getting the necessary, permit froni Wellington, Mr. , ■Eoardonsistfttem&ht that<k'loo per cent. / rise had:bocn offered 'was not correct, and • this is explained by the. fact that LongJ. ; burn . had- always paid Bs. per heid for .-. slaughtering bills,, as against J&, and 2s. 6d. paid', elsewhere. ; It would therefore bo seen'that, even if the; offer of is. per head had been Accepted by Messrs Wilson and-Gahhiirii, it'-would, only have .bifih a . rise 1 of 83 l-3rd pir cent, over the old price. AS; this offer Was never accepted,' : Mr; -Eeardoii was quite, wrong in; stating • .that,stich ah agrecmeht had been entered .V:"'.- into?.;-. .