SHIP CO.'S & FEDERATION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1780, 19 June 1913, Page 6

SHIP CO.'S & FEDERATION.

THE COMPANIES EXPLAIN. (By Telegraph.—Prose Association.) Christchurch, June 18. At a meeting of tho executiy? of the North Canterbury Farmers' Union, a letter was received from tile Shaw, Snrill, anil Albion Co. stating that copies of the resolutions passed by tho confcrenco in connection with tho rumoured . proposed (agreement between the shipping companies and tho Federation of Labour had been received, and resolutions conveyed to the Colonial Advisory Board of tho company. Tho company had not been approached, however, by tho Federation of Labour, and had no intention whatever of meeting them under existing .circumstances. . „ ~ , T A letter was- also read from the New Zealand Shipping Co. stating that tho company was at present working, under an agreement with the Federation of Labour at mcst ports in New. Zealand, except Timaru, where it considered that tho agreement was cancelled by the Wharf Labourers' Union very flagrantly breaking its chief conditions. The company was working at Timaru with free labour, and had no intention of taking on any unionists so long, as there was a free labourer wanting a job. In all matters warding wc<c at that port, the local nvinaeer had instructions to be glided bv the Ses of a local committee; which was regulating the supply of labour. Tlieir company regretted that, by erroneou9 statements in the newspapers, people had been led to* think that tfie shigptwc companies wero desirous of upsetting fieo labour at Timaru. or elsewhere, and it assured the union that it had met, from the first, with the strongest rapporjt ot nearly every shipping company doin„ business in Canterbury. . Tho letters were received.