PALMERSTON FARMERS' UNION

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1742, 6 May 1913, Page 8

PALMERSTON FARMERS' UNION

SHEARERS' DEMANDS DISCUSSED. ■ .The .dem'ands of tho lscw Zealand Shearei's" end Employees' Union were dis- , cussed, at the adjourned annual meeting of tho I'almerston branch of tho Farmers' Union on Saturday. The chair was occupied by Mr. J. Wingate. Mr. J. Balsillie, according to the local report said he had studied the demands, anil considered tho farmers should strain appoint,, and meet the shearers in a few instances. - ' Captain, Hewitt. thought the present, award was good enough, and there was very little faldt to find with it. The chairman considered'if tho demands wove carried' out the shearers would be masters. TJjey had to fight tho matter, but they wanted to be reasonable to tho men, and expected tho sheaj-ers to be tho tame.;:' Mr. Balsillio said it would" be awkward .if .the shearers went out on strike. They had enough experience in that respect with tho slaughtermen, and did not want a-repetition. Mr, Barber: They won't go out on strike. They caii't afford it. Mr. Buchanan* said the best thing to do was to train their own sons to shear. A medium' hand could shear nearly a hundred a day. "Mr. Baliillio said there were very few "hundred" men about at the present time. He advocated a travelling shearing plant amongst a combination of small farmers. Mr. Wingate said the position was thnt this meeting was not in favour of all tho demajids. and the delegates to the annual conference should be instructed to oppose thorn. Tho following suggestions were then made:— That the hour of starting work should be mutually arranged. . Tint the rato of pay should be XI per 100 for blades and machines. . . That grindstones bo from 12 to 18 inches, and not 18 inclres as stipulated in tho demand. That sheep shall be considered as dagged'. if having been dagged three weeks before shearing. Thiit tho following demand for travelling expenses is unworkable: "That fares shall be paid to all shearers and shed lmnds from place of engagement to sheep station: men finding their own means of locomotion to receivo payment equal to fare." ; That the present rate of 3s. 6d. per hundred for crutching i 9 quite adequate. In reference to the. suggested payment of Is. 3d. per hour for loss of time through breakage of machinery, Mr. PeaTce contended that it was an inducement to a shearer to throw tho machinery out of gear. . Mr. Balsillie said the shearers should get their cost of food if work stopped 'through a breakage. There were many indifferent plants'about, a.ndif they broko down it was no fault of the shearer. It was decided to oppose the demand of Is. 3d. per hour. Tho meeting thought that tho term of award should be three years, and not six months as asked for.