SLAUGHTERMEN'S DISPUTE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 28, 3 February 1913, Page 8

SLAUGHTERMEN'S DISPUTE

POSITION AT GISBORNE The union secretary, Mr. ~M. J. Reardon, when asked as to how the position was affected by the news from Gisborile, explained, primarily, . that there were forty .hooks at the Ka lti shed. "That is not going to upset us in the slightest," Said Mr. Reardon. "We never expected that the companies would not get some* body;to attempt to do the work.. That information only serves to show how well-informed we were of the whole situation. I have here a letter dated 14fch December, 1912, in which it is esti< mated that this company would be able to' find about twenty men. The capacity of this shed — including beef killers-^-is forty, bo that eight 'station 'hands' (as my' telegram terms them) will not make a great deal of difference. Previous experience has shown that th© employment of such labour to do the work, merely strengthens our position. For instance, in Auckland-r-a shed only half the size of Ka lti — in 1910 the companies succeeded in getting somewhere about fifteen men, but they did no good, and had eventually to come to terms. "Our only worry," added the union secretary, "is the very few weaklings in our own' organisation.^ So long as', that organisation is not seriously broken into, we >will not trouble very much about a handful of 'scratchers' here and there." My information is that these fellows who have started are just 'station hands' j also, that several more were to start this afternoon. Still, what I nave eaid makes it clear that we were well posted in this matter." COMMENT ON FREE LABOUR PROPOSAL. ,• Outspoken comment on the latest proposal o£ the companies to use free labour at the boavds was made by Mr. J. H. Bishop, secretary , of the Waingawa branch of the Slaughtermen's Union, to an Age representative. "We should like to know" (said Mi. Bishop) "if a ballot of the farmers hag been .taken to see if they are favourable to losing a season. The Farmers' Union Executive has stated that it endorses the action of the companies. But how is the executive composed? Is there one solitary member of the executive who has sheep for export this season? Wlijr has the resoluI tion .passed by the Wairarapa branches of the Farmers'- Union, recommendingthe payment of 30s per_ hundred, not , been communicated to Sir George Clifford? It seems to me 'that the companies have had no desire to meet the men from the very beginning. They are- out to crush the Union, and that is plain from the free labour proposals of Friday. But they aro going to make the farmer pay every time. . . The free labour proposal is very fine and large. Does the farmer realise that he stands to lose heavily by the employment of indifferent workmen? _Is he prepared to take the risk of his meat going on to the London market in such a condition that its grade is reduced from first-class to third-class? And _ then, supposing free labourers and indifferent labourers are found — and I doubt very much that they will be — what will hap* pen? My opinion is thKt it will be the beginning of one of the greatest upheavals that this Dominion has ever seen. The Waihi strikewill be only a circumstance compared with it. . . ."