The Shearers' Award. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2808, 8 January 1908, Page 24

The Shearers' Award. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, — I would like to draw attention to a small matter which no doubt will concern a great many of your • readers, (shearers and 1 other wool-workers). Having got' the award from the Arbitration Court after a .lot of trouble, I would like to state the way in which it was broken by so-called union shearers at Linnburn Station, where I and my two mates were ' shearing. The award l says that in a broken week the shearer is to shear to 4 o'clock, but if after a full week it is necessary to cut out a " flock, the sheepowner is allowed one hour after noon on the Saturday. We had been shearing a full week with no- broken time when, the ! owner "asked us to cut The sheep out. We j agreed to sheaf the hour the, award allowed him, but- he said that "we would "have ,to cut the sheep out altogether or take our cheques. Now, We knew we could' not cut the sheep out before 5 or 6 o'clock ati the earliest, so we , thought we were, in* the right by not shearing, and we refused to shear up to that time.- The shearers- at Linnburn Station are supposed to be union shearers (at - least, they are .members of the Shearers' \Union, having bought tickets)/ They (the other nine) went on ' to shear, , thereby breaking the rules of their ' union 7 and the award of the court. Two of them were so-called unionists from Australia. Hop T ing you will excuse us taking- up your valuabler time, and insert this in your weekly v paper, — We remain, Thos. W. 'Petktb.Babbie Lesue. John Beown. Patearoa, January 4. DUNEDIN MABEETST" * WHOLESALE PRODUCE' REPORTS. Mr J. Fleming, Princes street south, reports' under date the 7th inst. :— ", r Wheat per bushel. , porton Best milling ... 5/8 Barley dust ... IJO/4 Medium do ... 5/6 Oatmeal, in Ss's ■ 360/fl 'Fowls' 4/9 Oaten chaff 100/o— l lo/0 Milling oats ... 3/6 Ryegrass'hay 90/o— looo Feed oats... - 2/9— 3/0 Straw ... 40/0-50/0 Malt barley 4/4—4/8 Pearl parley .'. 3W/0 Feed barley 3/6— 3/9 Onions 9/- to 10/- owt Cape'barley ... "1/0 )„, ,_ -per lb. ... .... 5/tj Rolled bacou ... 9a per ton. Side bacon " ... -9d Jblour, In 200's ...225/0 Smoked hams ... , 9J4 Flour, in 50*3' ...240/0 Cheese - ... "Bd— 6Jti Pollard ... ' ... 110/0 Good ialt .butter, 9d to Bran ... > ... '95/0 ICci. according t« mmiity New local potatoes arriving in market in' good oondition. Selling at 10s to 12s" per cwt. ' , FARM. AND DAIRY PRODTTCE. „ Messrs Irvine and Stevenson, George" street, report paying for" produce . the week ending the 7'th inst. as follows,: — Ba<km (roll), id per It) . ifmau outter, 8d to Ram. Su per lb , lid per lb Fresh rggs. llrf <3oz _ Ss»H butter,: not buying Fresh butter, good' ordinary (in lib and Jlb r prints), 9d to lid per lb. "Pigs, 1301b to 1601b, s£d. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLEGRAM. WELLINGTON, January 6. *The High Commissioner's cablegram, from, -London is as follows:— 1 - ' New Zealand mutton is in. very limitedsupply, but the market is weak and inactive, as there are large supplies of River Plate mutton, which is teeing/strongly pushed! for sale a.t >3d. No 'immediajle change in the market is expected. Current quotations: Canterbury, 3|d; North Island, 3£d; Australian, V 2|d. Australian lamb is in large supply, but ia~ of very mixed quality, i and is quoted ait 42d'. There is a good demand for prime quality lamb. Beef. — The market nemaine very flat, and supplies of Riven? Plate are heavy. New Zealand, 3gd for 'hindquarters, 2Jd for forequarters, but the market remains firm, and thisre is general and active demand. Light shipments are expected. Butter: Choicest New Zealand, 119s; AussteiHan, 116s; Argentine, 117s; Danish,- 124s^ abeL Siberian, 113s. The cheese market remains firm, with an upward tendency. White make, 61s ; • coloured, 62s per owt. " The hemp market is steady, but market prospects are uncertain and transactions moderate. Good fair grade on spot, -';£2B 103 ; fair gradle in the same position, J827 103 ; January-March shipments, good fair grade, £27 10s ; fair grade, J627 ; fair .current Manila, £•29 per ton. " - The cocksfoot seed market is very firm, and no immediate change is expected. There are light stocks on hand, and: the - quotation is 76s per cwt for 171b bright Sreseed seed. - There is a better demand for wool, and prices are firm.

FROZEN) MEAT MARKET. ' ' NAPIEU, January 2. ■ The C.C. and D. Company (London) cables : " The frozen meat market is very weak, and there is a general fall in valu&s. To-day's quotations: Canterbury mutton, 3|d; Napier, Wellington, and North Island, 3Jd. Lamb: Second quality/ Hd. Beef: 'Hinds, Sgd^ fores, 2J(L GRAIN AND PRODUCE KBPORTS. Messrs Dalgety and Co.. (Ltd.) report as follows: — "We held our usual weekly auction sale of grain and produce at pur stores on Monday, when we submitted ft medium-sized cSfalogue to a fair attendance of buyers. Competition, however, "was decidedly slack, and, as a result," the 'greater portion of the catalogue had to be passed in for private sale. 1 Values ruled: as under: — Oaita.— There is- practically ,no business j passing in this market, shippers and millers being .both out of the market meantime. Sales - are slow, and are confined principally to small lots for local~feed purposes. Mondaya values show a decline on lais* week s rates. Quotations: Prime milling, 2b lOd to 3s; medium to good feed, 2s 6d to^2s 9d; inferior, 2s 4a to' 2s 5d per bushel (ex store," sacks extra). " „ . Wheat. — Business in this market has not yet bean resumed since' the holTaays. Fowl wheat meets- with slow sale at prices about on a par with late i>ates. Monday's quotations are more or, less nominal for milling qualities Quotations: Prime milling, 5s to 5s 4dj medium to 'good milling, 4s 9d to 4s llid; whiole fowl wheat, 4s 8a to 4s 9d per bushel (ex store, saoka eyfcra).' Potatoes. — Buyers for the most part are now confining their attention . to new pot*-" toas. The few lines of old sorts _stiir<remaining^ in stores ara in vets; indifferent oon-

dition. Failing immediate ' outlet as pig feed, agents will be compelled to cart these consignments out as refuse. Value as pig feed, 6d per sack. ■ Chaff. — The market is fully, supplied, and as sales are very slow lower prices haye'lto be accepted" to effect a clearance of arrivsls. Extra prime bright heavy oaten sheaf is principally in request, and commands wj £& 17s 6d. Other sorts are much slower of sale at prices quoted. Quotations: Extra choice, £4 17s 6d; prim« oaten sheaf, M 7s. 6d to £4 12s 6d; medium to good, £3 15a to SA 5s per ton (sacks extra). Messrs Donald Reid and Co. (Ltd.) report: We held our weekly auction sale oi grain and produce at our stores on Monday There was a. fair attendance of the usual local buyers, but only miodierate oompetitioit was experienced, and all sales effected weref on a basis of values somewhat lower 3har» late quotations. Values ruled as under: — Oats. — For some time there, baa been no business of any importance done either locally or for shipment. In view of the near approach of the northern -harvest buyers ahw little disposition to operate freely, and only at reduced prioes. Quotations: Prime* milling. 2s lOd to ~3s-; rmedium to. good feed, 3a 6dl to 2s 9d; -inferior, 2s 4d to 2s Si pea: bushel (sacks' extra). • v Wheat. — In this cereial also sales _are pnao_ tically at <a standstill. Miller* are at present quite out of the, market, and alnSbst 'ihe only. sales being effected are small lines' of towl[ wheaft for local use. - Quotations: ~Prinie milling .(nominally),' 5a to- 5s 3d :- medium) to, good. 4s 9d to 4s lid;, whole fowl -wheat, 4s ,6dt. to 4s 9dj 'broken- and. d'amaged^ 4a to^4s 5dT per bushel" (sa<iks extra)." ■ y\ Potatoes.— -Stocks in stores are now muchi reduced, but owing' to the rapid deterioration^ in condition and the absence of any demand, it" has been necessarv'to cart a considerable quantity of ' -worthless potatoes to the tip. The feY sound lines- stilt-in stores are movin® off in small quantities at 6d to la per bag. " Chaffi — The market is N fully • supplied, wnd!. buyers are not prepared to"purchase at late quotations. Tn • consequence all qualities bave' 'smffered "a decline' -in" values. Quotations: Beat oaten, sheaf. JE4 7s 6d to £4 10a; choice, to £A 15s; medium to> good, £S 15s to £4 5s per ton (bags extra). Straw. — The market is almost bare of supplies, and good 'bright wheaten straw haa some inquiry, with little offering at present." .