A. & P. WORKERS CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 204, 17 May 1918, Page 8

A. & P. WORKERS CONFERENCE

POSITION OF =lUBBITBES' UNION. The, third; annual conference of the New' Zealand Agricultural and Pastoral Workers' Union whioh commenced its sittings on Wednesday, was continued yesterday. Mr. A. Cook (presidont) occupied the«gljair. ' The report and balance-sheet, which were considered satisfactory, were adopted. With respect to .the rabbiters' com. munication, Mr. S. Boreham (Dunedin) said that the A-P-U. should only take action in regard to the men employed by squatters to poison or trap at a week. ]y wage. He explained the system under whioh rabbiting is mostly carried on. The work was done by contractors who told : their catches to middlemen, whose •rates could not bo fixed by tho Arbitration Court. Ho moved: "That during the currency of 'he war the A.P.U. take no action, in regard to this . class of work." Mr. J. Mee (Wellington) seconded the motion, and explained that the variety of the conditions under wbM these men .worked made tie question so intricate as to justify the postponement of action suggested by tho motion. After'some disousslon, during which the Advisability of taking no action which •might repel the sympathies of any class of rural worker was stressed, and the statement was made that the real exploiter of the rabbiter was not the employer but the middleman, Mr. Baldwin (Christohurob.l moved, as,an amendment; -'"That tho secretary write to the Babbit Trappers' Association, asking it for further information as to the association's position, and for the supply of full details; also, as to thei prospects of organising success, and as to whether the Tabbiters were prepared to abide by tho A.P.U. constitution." •' Mr.' Grayndler seconded the amendment, which was carried by 6 votes to 2. A communication received from the Second Wellington Military Service Board i asking' for detailed information regardthe shearers' membership of the I 'A.P.U. wa9 considered, and it was re-1 solved to leave the matter in tho hands of the .secretary to deal with.