“PART OF A PLAN”

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8346, 5 February 1913, Page 9

“PART OF A PLAN”

SLAUGHTERMEN'S UNION SEEK RE-REGISTRATION*. An entirely unexpected development lias just occurred in connection with the dispute between the meat freezing companies and the slaughtermen, but the bearing which it may have upon the trial of strength has not yet been made clear. The new move is nothing less than an application by the unions for re-registration under the Arbitration Act. Ths three unions which are directly involved in the present dispute—Wellington, Poverty Bay, and Canterbury —made application for re-registration under the Act at the beginning of this week. The Wellington industrial district, it should be noted, includes Hawke's Bay. The other three unions—Auckland, Otago, and Southland—will make simi lar applications very shortly, and when re-registration has been granted to all six unions the Slaughtermen's Fcdera tion will also apply to be registered again. The former registrations of the federation and the six unions were cancelled on January 16th. A hint of the new move was secured by a representative of the ''New Zealand Times" last evening, and it was subsequently confirmed by Mr M. J. Reardon. secretary of the Slaughtermen's Federation. Mr Reardon admitted that the information given above was quite correct. "What is the explanation of this step? Why are you seeking to register again under the Act when you cancelled your previous registration less than a. month ago ?" he was asked. "I cannot tell you just now," was the reply. "All I can say is that it is part of our plan."