A PROTEST BY THE SLAUGHTERMEN

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 82, 31 December 1917, Page 6

A PROTEST BY THE SLAUGHTERMEN

OVER GOVERNMENT ADVERTISEMENT TO AUSTRALIAN LABOUR MINISTER'S EMPHATIC REPLY Last week the minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. G. W. Russell) received tho following letter from the secretary of tho Marlborough Slaughtermen's Union :— "I am instructed by my union to inform you of the following motion that was carried at our meeting on December 18: — ' " 'That this union of slaughtermen strongly condemns your action in advertising in-the Australian papers for slaughtermen to come to New Zealand to take tho place of slaughtermen who hare been conscripted into the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces.' ' "We have now in our union threa married men who have been conscripted into the-Forces, and we strongly object to the non-conscripted men taking their places. "(Sgd.) W. J. GIBB,

"Secretary." To this letter the Minister replied as follows on December 28 :— "I am in .receipt of your letter forwarding copy of motion carried at a meeting of the Marlborough Slaughtermen's Industrial Union with regard to Australian slaughtermen coming to New Zealand. In reply, I must confess that I am unable to follow tho reasoning of your union. It is quite true conscription is in force in &ew Zealand, and probably some slaughtermen have joined the Forces—both voluntarily snd otherwise. 1 may, however, remind you that as the meat industry is an essential one slaughtermen who carry on that.occupation are being exempted from service. It is also true, as your union must know, that it has been the practice for many years for Australian slaughtermen to come to New -Zealand for the season,' and also for men belonging to New Zealand to -visit. Australia for the same i-ur-pose. . "I may explain for your information that I have received a letter from the Australian Meat Workers; Union stating that because conscription was in force in New Zealand they would not allow their men to come here. At the same I received information that a number of Australian slaughter, men were prepared' to come to A eve Zealand if assured that they would not come under conscription if they landed on our shores. The advertisement I published in Australia 'to which your union objects gave this assurance and nothing more.. . "In conclusion I desire to point out to your union that at present our Empire is engaged in a hfe-and-deatli struggle for liberty against Prussian tvranuy and oppression. Our part as portion of the Empire is twofold—U) To send men to fight, and (2) to send food for the roldiers and for the Jirltish people. "With approximately 100,000 men withdrawn from the labour market, Aye are still (thanks to the patriotic workers of New Zealand) able to keep up tho volume of our exports, thus enabling us to pay the entire cost of our portion of Britain's Army, and,also to send food supplies to the 'Mother Country. If a few hundred Australians, who are not, -infortunately, under, conscription in their own country, come over according to their usual practice of mauv vears to assist our meat industry during the busy season, what would your union wish the Government to do? Judging from the tone of your union's resolution, I am compelled rcluctnntlv to think that it would wish to see them refused admission m order that our own T Military Service Act might break down. If that is the wish of your union, it will be grievously disappointed. Without in any way-rclax-intr its efforts in the matter of men to°fi'dit, the Government is equally determined to carry on every essential industry at full strength, and more particularly those which provide food for tho soldiers of the Empire and our fellow-citizens in the Mother Country. "(Sgd.) G. W. RUSSELL, "Minister of Internal Affairs."