BUTCHERS ADRIFT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1690, 5 March 1913, Page 8

BUTCHERS ADRIFT.

SEEKING NEW WORK.

THE STATUS OF THE UNIONS'

Tho slaughtermen who used to man the hoards at I'etono and Ngahauranga, apart frcm those who have gono to; Australia, are scattered all over the country, engaged in all sorts of occupations. Some of them have . betaken - themselves to "bush-whaclting," and others to flaxcutting, 'while a number have resorted to road-mending or othinS departments of general labouring work.' Two of their number, it is stated, have returned to the board'at Ngahauranga, but their example does not appear to be infectious. ''The general attitude of the ex-slaughter-men is one of passive resistance. Unable to exact terms-from the companies, tho slaughtermen liaVo determined not to accept such conditions as were-granted in Canterbury, where, it is . stated, the unionists'who declared the strike "off w-ero lined up beforo the' company managers in order that these officials might select such of tho men as they pleased for employment. Meantime 'tho news from the localcompanios is that they have all the labour they want,; that outputs are .increasing rapidly, and ih '•geiieral r ''that' , conditions are in every way satisfactory from their point of view. -Recently Mr. M. J. Reardon, _ secretaryof the Slaughtermen's Federation, protested publicly tgainstthe failure of tlio Registrar of Awards to notify him, as secretary of the existing Slaughtermen's Union in tho local industrial district, that • a proposal was afoot to form another union—tho Ngahauranga Slaughtermen's Industrial Union of Workers. The official • rejoinder was that the Arbitration Act only directed the Registrar of Awards to notify the secretary of an existing union in such a case when the registration of a proposed new union had been refused. The point has since been referred by tho Slaughtermen's Union to Sir John Findlay for a professional opinion,' and he has advised that although the strict reading of the Section of tho Arbitration Act in question (Section 11). may bo as stated by the Labour rjepartmcnt, the actual Intention of the Legislature plainly was to enact that the. secretary of an existing union must bo notified when it was proposed to- form a new union. To road the Section otherwise, Sir J. Findlay contends, would be to ignore its obvious purpose, which is to give the. secretary of an existing union an opportunity of offering objections to the formation of a newunion, and of showing that its memberd may conveniently belong to tho existii)} union.- . ..

Sir Jolip. Findlay expresses the opinion that a mandamus would be to compel the Registrar of Awards to. notify the secretary'of- an existing union as indicated, and'further to prevent the registration of a new union until this -notification had been given. The Labour Department has now notifisd Mr. Reardon that the application of the new union for registration has been refused, and further that tho existing union has no standingin connection with tlio appeal of'the new union, before the Arbitration Court, agairst the decision of the Labour Department. Tho Slaughtermen's Union (the existing • unmay possibly take.Bteos to test the decision of tlio Labour Department that it (the union) cannot appear before tho Court to object to the registration of the new union.

"Wo arc rediioed to' tjio condition' of passive resistors," said Mr. Reajdon yesterday in commenting upon l the existing position, "and are compelled to bo mere spectators o£ tlie drama." A rumour was current yesterday that' still another new slaughtermen's union was b?ing formed at Petono, but this is probably incorrect, for tho Ngahauranga Union includes, ill its membership free labourers employed on tlio Gear Company's board at Petone.

"ALL VACANCIES FILLED." (By Tc'.sjraph.—Vress Association.) Cnristchurch, March 4. Of sixty-eight slaughtermen now working at Islington, thirty-two aro old hands, l>einpr married men aud settled in the district. 1

Tho Christchurch Meat Company states that all tho vacancies at Snnthfield, Picton, Oamaru, and Burnsido have been filled in the same way, , and work is proceeding smoothly.