SHEARING SEASON 1874.

Dunstan Times, Issue 653, 23 October 1874, Page 3

SHEARING SEASON 1874.

The following is a proposed memorandum of agreement, to be used by the squatters as an agreement between them and the shearers employed during the coming season: “ Memorandum of agreement, made an entered into this day of one thousand eight hundred and seventy between of Station, runholder, hereinafter called the employer of the one part, and the undersigned shearers severally of the other partl. The said employer hereby agrees to employ each of the undersigned shearers during the shearing of the whole of the sheep on Station, which may he brought into the shed at first muster, and to supply properly cooked rations at his own cost, and to pay each of the said shearers at the rate of per hundred sheep for all sheep shorn to the satisfaction of h>m or his Manager, said shearing to hegin on the day of , and such payment to he made at the end of shearing. 2. The undersigned shearersherehyagreo to shear the whole of the sheep on blank station, brought into the shed at first muster, at the said rate of per hundred sheep, with properly cooked rations supplied to them by the said employer, at his own cost. 3. The undersigned shearers further agree to shear the sheep carefully and properly, and to the satisfaction of the employer nr his manager in every respect, and to obey all their lawful and reasonah'e commands during the performance of tl e slid work. 4. The working hours shall 1 e from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., every lawful day, one hour being allowed for breakfast, one hour for dinner, and not less than one hour for other refreshments, at times to be fixed by the employer or his manager ; but in the event of had weather, or other unforeseen causes, should it he necessary in their opinion to alter the said working hours, it shall be in their power to do so. 5. It is hereby also agreed that, in the event of any one of the undersigned shearers abandoning his wotk without the consent of the employer or his manager, • or without proper and reasonable cause for so doing, shall be liable to forfeit bis wages. 6. This agreement shall be deemed to he a separate contract, with each shearer signing the same.” Here follows the signatures of the employer and shearers employed. [For the information of runholders we desire to say that we have printed forms of the above agreement for sale, on sheets of foolscap, which may he had on application to the office of this paper. In conclusion, we may state that this form has been used for several years in some of the largest sheds in New Zealand,'and fairly protects the interests of both parties.