SLAUGHTERMEN'S STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 57, 15 March 1907, Page 2

SLAUGHTERMEN'S STRIKE.

FACTORIES KESUMIMG WOJtK. l'er Press Association. CiruiiTninini, UTarcli 11. The position at Iho Christ ,'huivh Meat Company's various t'iiclorie.-- is understood to be improving daily. At Islington there have been abjut tinny men al work for tlic last (lay or two, and the proportion of men i.ble to slaughter for export is gradually increasing. At I'lcton, where operations liaye been suspended for the last ten day, work li is again startid, and fully 300 a day is exp 'eted to be put through for the balance of this week. At Smithlield there are about twenty men at work, of whom about one-haif are killing for export. Applications for work Ironi suitablo men are coming in mow freely, and there is every prospect that by the beginning of next week a fair quantity will be treated for export at all the works, TIIK EML'LOrKIIS' 'IUUN. MEN'S UNION CITED. Per Press Association. CiiutsTi'ituucii, March 14.

There was an unexpected development in the freezing works trouble to-day. The companies have from tlic first stood by the law as embodied in the Conciliation and Arbitration Acts, and have demanded that the dispute should he referred for settlement to the Arbitration Court. The men have replied that they will under no circumstances liavo anything to do with She Court, and that any settlement must be by means of an industrial agreement between the parties To-day the Freezing Companies took the initiative and tiled with the Clerk of Awards in Christchurcli an application for a hearing of the dispute at the next sitting of the Arbitration Court in Christchurcli. The Union will be cited to appear ia accordance with the ordinary procedure of the Court. This i-i understood to be the fir.-t o-casion in the history of compulsory arbitration in New Zealand in which the employers havo applied for an award, and have ci;cd the workers to appear. COMING TO REASON.

A PROBABLE SETTLEMENT. Per Press Association. CimisTcMUJiiCii, March 11. A meeting of the Slaughtermen's Union was held to niffht, as a result of which the following telegram was sent to the Hon. W. Hall-Jones, ActingPremier, by Messrs T. H. Davey and Geo. Witty, M.'5.11.R,, who were present at the meeting : —" At a large mating of members of , the Slaughtermen's Union to-night, a resolution was carried unanimously that mombers of the Union and ourselves should be vested with full pjwers *o arbitrate with the directors of the freezing companies, any question in dispute to bo decided by the Arbitration Court. In view of this decision, and a probabla amicable settlement of the dispute, would you bo good enough to give the men who were fined every possible chance to pay as best they can. It would be a pity tj see any of thorn imprisoned. The cases are to be heard to-morrow. Do your best. The freezing companies will consider this now phaso of the question lat a special meeting to bo held toI morrow."

AUCKLAND WORKERS CITE THE EMPLOYERS. Per Press Association. Auckland, March 14. To-day an application was filed with the Clerk of Awards by the Slaughtermen's Union citing the employers to appear in an industrial dispute at the next sitting of tho Arbitration Court in Auckland, which opens on April Bth. The men were not prepared to await the decision of the employers as to their domsnls, fearing that delay would prevent the case being heard at the approaching sitting of tho Court. The workers ask for increased wnges and improved conditions generally. THE POSITION IN SOUTHLAND Per Press Association. iNVERCAHaiu,, March 14.

There are no new stnko developments to report; in fact, tho strike is au obsolescent term in Southland. The Meat Company, dealing with this phaso of the matter, in an interview to-day, said that the companies recognised no strike. Tho men went out, negotiations ended, and the men wero now simply m the positioD of employees who left the servieo, and with whom die Company have nothing to do individually. Old hands applying for employment would be treated on their merits, but as a body of strikers, the Company do not recognise them, and no persons claiming to represent them as such will be received.