SHEEP SHEARING DISPUTE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 87, 21 July 1910, Page 5

SHEEP SHEARING DISPUTE.

SHEARER v. SQUATTER. THE SQUATTER SPEAKS. By Telegraph. —Press Association. Wellington, 'Last Night. Mr. T. E. Taylor lias received the following reply from the Sheepfarmers' Federation in response to the suggestion that a conference should be held between the parties to the shearers' dispute: — "With regard to the suggested conference in connection with the shearers' dispute, I have to advise you that the New Zealand .Sheepowners' Federation is not. prepared to consider the proposal until the executive of the Shearers' Industrial Association authorises its delegates to deal with the question of price and to accept such price as may be agreed upon between 17s (id and 20s (inclusive). It wlil also be required that the executive shovdd give a written undertaking that its association will not take any steps to interfere with workers accepting work at the minimum agreed upon at the conference. Yours faithfully, William Pryor, Secretary." f CORRESPONDENCE AND CONTROVERSY. Oliristchurch, Last Night. The general secretary of the Shearers and Woolshed Employees' Association'Of Workers to-night forwarded the following telegram to Mr. T. E. Taylor, M.P.: "Employers absolutely decline unfettered conference as suggested by you, therefore we must withdraw invitation with regret.—La racy.''

Mr. Laracy istates that the employers only consent to the proposed conference if the union signed a guarantee that members of the union would accept the minimum rate iixed by the conference or the Court.

Mr. H. D. Ac la ml. of the Sheepowners' Union, on being seen to-night, stated that' Mr. W. Pryor was to have seen the Minister for Labor to-day, to ascertain the tenns on which the delegates to any conference that might be held were to meet, but np to a late hour to-night no reply had been received from Mr. Pryor, and so far as the Canterbury Sheepowners' Union were concerned the position was the same as at the close of the fruitless informal conference held in Christehurch last Thursday.