SLAUGNTERMEN'S TROUBLE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 540, 8 February 1913, Page 5

SLAUGNTERMEN'S TROUBLE.

COMPANIES RE-STARTING WORK FREEZERS REMAIN NEUTRAL. The position of the contending parties in the slaughtermen's dispute is unchanged. The companies are reported to have had a certain response to their application for free labour, but have not yet fixed a date for restarting their works. The slaughtermen stiil maintain that no experts will offer themselves, and that any learners available will be incompetent to do anything like satisfactory work and unable to break the back of the strike. The companies, on the other hand, ar9 said to Welcome a stoppage of a week or two, and have not been inconvenienced so far. The attitude of waterside workers toward "scab" labour will fiave an important bearing on the struggle between the men and the companies. It is confidently assarted that if "free" labour is put on to work, the stevedores will refuse to handle the meat. The matter has been before the watersid workers, and has been referred to the executive of the Federation of Labour for pronouncement.

Slaughtering operations under free labour were continued satisfactorily on Wednesday at the Kaiti and Tokomaru works. There were 23 men on the Gisborne Sheep Farmers' Frozen Meat Company's board when work was resumed. At one o'clock the number had been strengthened to 27. The company intends taking on new men as they come along until the board is made up to 40.

Messrs Nalson Bros.' Taruheru Works resume operations on Monday with the assurance of a full board of slaughterman. Mr Dewing, the manager, states there will be no difficult? whatever in filling the board. The men being taken on are outsiders, although several had killed at Toraoana at different times. The new hands were rnGstly. men from the country who had a knowledge of the work. The Freezing Works Industrial Union of Workers held a meeting on Wednesday right at Hastings, 200 being present, . including practically all workers other than slaughtermen, from the local works. Information was given by the secretary to the effect that as insufficient notice of the meeting had been given, no resolution was passed, but the position was fully discussed, and it was agreed that members of the union should remain at work irrespective of the fact that the killing boards were manned by free labour.