THE BUTCHERS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 30, 5 February 1913, Page 11

THE BUTCHERS

'♦ COMPANIES IN CANTERBURY MARSHALLING FORCES. (BT TELEGRAM— SPECIAL 10 THE POST.) CHRISTCHUROH, This Day. Monday's announcement that the meat companies are calling for free labour at 27s 6d a hundred has set a 'good many tongues wagging, as far as the man in the street is concerned, but the parties to the dispute are silent, and it appears as if the companies were quietly marshalling their forces for as early a start , as possible. The advertisement for men was only issued on Monday, and it is early yei to gauge whether there will ; be a sufficient response to enable the big freezing works to resume their running, j The manager of one of the works said yesterday morning that it was quite 1 out of the question to state what response had been made to the call for free labour, but information gathered elsewhere goes to show that a considerable number of inexpert slaughtermen can be secured by the companies. The men who have left their, employment recognise this fact, but do not anticipate that either the companies or the farmers are really anxious to save one-third of a penny per carcase by the loss of two_ or three shillings through unskilled killing and dressing. Still it is not improbable that a few free Workers will begin operations in the slaughtering sheds ol the Canterbury Works within the next day or two, and it is rumoured in Lyttelton that transport workers have dismissed informally the possibility of being called, upon to handle what they may call nod-unionist meat.