SHEARERS' CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1709, 28 March 1913, Page 8

SHEARERS' CONFERENCE.

. ■ 4 The New Zealand Shearers' Conference was continued on Wednesday, Mr. J. Cooper presiding. , It was resolved that a deputation wait npon the Minister for Labour, urging the necessity of amending the Arbitration Act to enable Dominion unions to be registered)- and other matters. It was resolved :that conference advocato the v question of preference to unionists when obtaining the next award. A resolution of deep sympathy was passed to itlie family of the late Mr. H. Hawkins, who had died some few hours earlier in the day. It was resolved that the association be represented at tho funeral and that a wreath be sent. A deputation waited upon one of the officers of the Labour Department at 12.15 to obtain information regarding formation of Dominion unions. Various matters with regard to accommodation were debated a>t length, and a committee set. up to report to tlio conference next day. Mr. M'Leod (organiser) said that he had found in Hawke's Bay, in the course of his organising work, whares that contained no bunks ait all. The workers (men and women) were huddled together at night on the floor like pigs, and this not in one place but in many places. Mh Cooper (president) said he had seen them sleeping thus on open verandahs.

Mr. M'Leod, continuing, said that the local constable had reported favourably in regard to 0110 place, and yet it had been a wreck for years past; "the sky could be seen through the-roof; there was not a single bunk in tlie'-'nla'ce, and the whole building was anchored to the ground with wires to keep it in place. There were 110 sanitary conditions. At St. Lawrence there were twenty-five workers (men and women) using the same sanitary convenience (there was only the one). Here the roof let in the rain like a sieve. That was "tlie condition of things i.ll manv places in Hawke's Bay. His duties had taken him through tho Waitotara. Stratford, and Tnraimki districts, and in somo cases the accommodation ivas even worse than described previously. In one place about 14ft. x 14ft., eight Maoris cooked their food and slept. There was not a bunk in the place, merely a few dry ferns thrown on the floor. He knew of his own knowledge that these evils existed, nnd that the present inspection was a nure farce. Mr. Grajndler said he had had, as a shearer, similar experiences. He knew of a station where fortv-six men were in one hut, and though the bad conditions were reported to the inspector the men got no satisfaction. At another place within' six miles of Masterton, tho accommodation was scandalous. 111 another case there were practically no sanitary arrangements there for fifty men: iust a thin partition between the sleening and eating-places, and within Bft was a drain of refuse, and dags and dead sheep— everything left there for days sometimes. It' was horrible.' Messrs. Callaghan, Wilson, and Hopkins were welcomed to the conference. Tho question of registry offices was debated at length, and at 5 p.m. the conferenco adjourned till !) a.m. next day.