THE SLAUGHTERMEN

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8350, 10 February 1913, Page 11

THE SLAUGHTERMEN

REOPENING OP LOCAL WORKS. Tiio Gear Moat Company and the .Wellington Meat Export Company will reopen their works to-morrow with free labour. Everything is in readiness for tho reception of stock at botli ■works to-day, in view of tho resumption of work. Tho companies aro confident of securing a sufficiency of free labourers to enable them to keep the works fairly well going. PROGRESS AT GISBORNE. GOOD WORK DONE BY FREE LABOUR. Press Association. GISBORNE, February 9. Thti Gisborne Sheepfarmers’ Frozen Meat Company concluded its first week’s operations under free labour conditions at midday yesterday, and tho result is regarded as highly satisfactory. There were thirty-one men on the slaughtering board yesterday morning and their work is spoken of in the highest terms. Tho substantial nature of wages offering has attracted numerous inquiries for work, which are coming in from many parts of tho district. Tho only incident that appears to have occurred worth mentioning is a case of alleged A_ couple mi the new butchers at the Kaiti works complain of having been intercepted by some persons, who used offensive terms to them. It is understood that measures will ho taken to prevent the introduction of any such objectionable tactics. . . . Some internal dissension is reported to have occurred among the slaughtermen themselves, and payment of a salaried official connected with tho organisation is stated to ho tho bone or contention. . . . ' A federal representative is reported to have waited upon a director of the Tobomaru works with an offer of his services to settle tho butchers’ dispute, but ho was courteously informed that no such grievance existed, and the company was quite satisfied with the work of its present slaughterhouse hands. WANGANUI FREEZING WORKS. EXPERT BUTCHERS START TO-DAY. Press Association. WANGANUI, February 8. Tho Wanganui freezing Company has had a good response from free labourers, and will resume on Monday With at least twenty-five men, including some. expert butchers. The rest are of a good stamp. Some of the old hands have already departed for Auckland, and the majority of the others are leaving next week. They say they are unlikely to return. Those having homes here intend to seek other employment. Inquiries among the local waterside workers show that they have little sympathy with tho strike; which they consider is unnecessary and unjustifiable. They declare there will bo no refusal to handle meat so far as the Wanganui waterside workers aro concerned. BURNSIDE WORKS WILL REOPEN ON THURSDAY. ; DUNEDIN; February 8. ; .ThVcUhristcfinridi. Meat ■ Company ' ■“gfbrks’at Burnside will reopen' for the season on Thursday next. More applications have been made by slaughtermen some experience than tho number required by the company. LABOUR ADVOCATED IN SOUTHLAND. INVERCARGILL, February 9. Speaking at the annual meeting of the Southland Freezing Company, the chairman of directors, Mr John AleQueen, said this time the companies were determined to make a stand, and had decided to make an attempt to fill tho factories with freo labour. As far as they had gone they had met with encouragement, leading to the conclusion that they would obtain sufficient labour. He regretted that a number of married men who had been with the Southland Frozen Aleat Company for years, and had lived in the neighbourhood, would find that their occupation was gone unless they moved very quickly in applying for places. The local men were te blame in surrendering their personal convictions, and handing over their rights to others. This was unmanly and degrading. But that was their business. Every, man had a right to make a fool of himself (f ho wanted to. As to tho slaughtermen and any other employees they might find it necessary to engage in consequence of any dispute, they would continue in the company’s service. It would not matter if the slaughtermen came in a body and offered their services. They would fight any attempt likely to be made to form a union to reregister and impose conditions whereby the men who came to tho company’s assistance would_ he turned out. They would not submit to that, and he did not think the Arbitration Court would give its approval. It would bo a case of fixity of tenure with those young butchers. INTENTIONS OP WANGANUI WORKERS. Special to tho “Times.” WANGANUI,, February 9. Discussing the situation ' to-day a slaughterman who “went out” at Castlecliff said that two or three of the n»en who have ceased work have already left Wanganui, and that a dozen pr bo would probably Be leaving on Monday or early next week. Most of them wijjl, ho said,’ go to Australia, where they can obtain employment, and it was hardly likely any of them would return to Now Zealand. Those of tho men who have their homes *horo will leek other employment, which ho considered they would readily find. “Most of us would bo better off, too,” ho continued. “considering the nature of the work ‘of slaughtering and the conditions under which wo have had to work, i Personally, I’m just about sick of it all, and I don’t caro if I never see it again.” It was reported that waterside workers purposed refusing to handle meat owing to tho employment of free labour, but inquiries locally show that there was little likelihood of loading being held up'in Wanganui._ One watersider contends that fully 95 per cent, of tho local men do not consider tho etriko justified, and have no sympathy with it. “Quite unjustifiable and unnecessary,” was tbo emphatically expressed opinion of another man. “They were tho best paid men on tho job, and they go and try to make tho rest of tho

men lose their employment. Aluch consideration for their fellow-workers have they?” More emphatically still he continued, “Just compare their 30b with wharf labourers.. Our work is 200 per cent, more laborious, it is 100 per cent more likely to break up a man a constitution, and it is 300 per cent, more liable to serious accident. Then, compare tho wages of the wharf labourers with those of the slaughterm Another, when asked what h 3 thought of tho strike, replied briefly and to tho point, “It’s a blooming failure, and they’ve tumbled.” Others were equally as emphatic, so it is not likely , there will bo any trouble locally on account of tho employment of freo labour.