MEAT WORKS IDLE

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

MEAT WORKS IDLE

LOCAL COMPANIES WATCHING DEVELOPMENTS. . No. apparent move has yet been made by the two Wellington meat freezing companies in the direction of securing free labour to man the killing boards at Petone and Ngahauxanga in place of the slaughtermen who are now taking a holiday. The works are still idle and, it is understood, they are likely to remain so for a time. This, however, cannot be taken to mean that the companies are not making preparations to re-start should circumstances prove favourable. There i& reason to believe that some, very definite plans have been evolved, but that, before putting them into operation, the companies are to see how other concerns iai.o in their invitations to free labour. Wellington seems to be regarded as the real testing ground of the strike, and the companies here, fn consequence, are going to move with great caution. Developments may be expected .before very long. Telegraphic, advices, from :; other centres/show that'some works have been able to secure sufficient killers to make a start. It is, however, stated, by the Federation secretary that the expert slaughtermen are keeping absolutely to their refusal to accept the. companies' terms. He told a "Times" reporter last evening that as far as he was aware not one member of the unions had gone back to work. A slaughterman who arrived from England, by"'die'Remuera, on Monday evening was told yesterday that there was any amount of work to bo done in his particular line if he liked to take it. He had, however, such a horror of the term "scab" that he would not' run tlurisk of having it applied to him, so sot'ght other employment instead. TOMOANA WORKS OPEN TODAY. FULL BOARD NOT OBTAINED AT PAKIPAKI. Press Association. HASTINGS, February 4. Tho Tomoana works will reopen tomorrow. The arm had no difficulty in obtaining free labour, and slaughtering will be resumed with a full board. Those men who have come to the firm's assistance will be allowed to retain their hooks as long as they desire, and every reasonable opportunity will be allowed them to become expert slaughtermen. In the event of vacancies occurring on tho. boards, the strikers will be allowed to go back to work should they feel inclined to do so. With reference to the remarks of one of the strikers, reported in the "Tribune," to the effect that the work done by inexperienced hands might be satisfactory to the firms, but it was doubtful ir the farmers would put up with it for very long, etc., Messrs Nelson Bros.' opinion is quite the reverse, and they anticipate that the slaughtering work will be done very much better by the new boards of men than it has been done for some time past. If it is worse, then it will be very bad indeed. With regard to the Pakipaki freezing works, no information was ascertainable to-day, but it is understood that as yet Messrs Borthwick and Sona have not obtained a full board, and the works are still closed. The. Freezers' Union is holding a meeting here to-night. NORTH BRITISH WORKS. Press Association. NAPIER, February 4. As had been arranged, the slaughtering at the North British Freezing Company's works was resumed today by the aid of free labour. There was practically no demonstration on the part of the displaced strikers, who took the matter very quietly, and, indeed, it is said that many of the single men are preparing to leave the district to seek pastures new. No admittance to the works could be gained, but a reporter was informed by the managing director to-night that more applications for work had been received than the company cou'd grant, and that no difficulty was anticipated in being able to continue operations on a satisfactory basis. A full staff m< not employed to-day on account o\ tho fact that the overseer had to instruct a number of the men, but what work was done was done very well, although perhaps not so quickly as by more experienced butchers. WORK AT GISBORNE AND TOKOMARU. Press Association. GISBORNE, February 4. The Tokomaru Bay freezing works resumed work at 8 o'clock this morning with free labour on the boards, including three natives. By noon the natives had been increased to eleven. The

management is quite satisfied, and expects to have » lull board in the course of a dav or two. There has been no trouble ~with_ the strikers. The- new itiou are killing Mt th« raV* of .from seven to ten sheep per hour, which in considered satisfactory. At the Kaiti works no less than, twenty-one men were working on tho boards this afternoon, including learners, and more are expected to-morrow. It is stated that- although a fair rnirntier of the sheep slaughtered on Monday wtre rejected for freezing, the number to-day was very small, and tho slaughtering was quite up to the standard of recent days with the old slaughtermen. The company expects to ha turning out its usual output in about a fortnight. WANGANUI BUTCHERS CEASIC WORK. NO DIFFICULTY ANTICIPATED. WANG AND I, February 4. The latest developments in tha slaughtermen's dispute is a strike of the butchers who undertook a couple of days ago to do abattoir killing for local retailers for public consumption. They intimated that they were prepared to do abattoir work only on their own terms, which were not acceptable to tho company, which offered an increased rate of 27s 6d per 10Q for both sheep and lambs. The company is now inviting applications for tha work, giving preference to old employees. A meat famine will not occur as tha company has already made arrangements for killing sufficient abattoir moat for local requirements, and hopes soon to be in a. position to recommence killing for the export trade. The freezers are adopting a neutral attitude. A number of men have already been dispensed with, and about 150, outside of tho butchers, will b« affected. POSITION IN CANTERBURY. Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, February 4. There are no developments to record iu connection with the trouble with tho slaughtermen in Canterbury. Each side, is waiting for the other to capitulate, and as far as outward appearances go capitulation is the idea farthest from tho intention of either. Inquiries at the offices, of the "freezing companies this morning aa to the number of applications received in response to the companies' advertisements calling for the services of export slaughtermen, were productive of no result, except a. statement that the date when the works will be reopened will bo duly announced. STAFFING THE WORKS Hi ■ TIMARU. TIMARU, February 4. Some applications for- "hooks" at the local freezing works, have been received. The number has not bee* stated at present.