WORK AND WAGES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 193, 4 January 1913, Page 5

WORK AND WAGES.

THE SLAUGHTERMEN'S TROUBLE.. By Telegrar>h---Press Association. Wellington,' Last 'Night. A' special • telegram from Ohristclnireh respecting the likelihood of trouble among tho Canterbury slaughtermen, published here to-day, was. characterised as very misleading by the' secretary of the Slaughtermen's Federation, Mr. M. J. Reardon. ■ It was particularly wrong where it suggested that agitators have fomented trouble just now, because of the very large number of fat . sheep ready for killing. Mr. Reardon said that lie was the only paid official in connection with the Slaughtermen's Federation, and as he had not been in Canterbury for nearly two years his chances of agitating there had been limited. The secretary of the Canterbury Union was a man who worked at the trade, so lie could not he classed as an agitator. As to the suggestion that action was being taken at this particular juncture because of the number of sheep ready for killing, Mr. Reardon declared that the position was completely misunderstood. The requests for increased wages now advanced had first been made - so long ago as .July last, when they were discussed at a conference. They were mainly the result of the wretched season in Canterbury last year. The reason the new demands had only just been put in formally was that the old agreement had only just expired. A similar statement respecting the activity of the agitation in Canterbury, said Mr. Reardon, had already appeared in the Farmers' Union Advocate. He had written to the editor of the paper offering to resign from the organisation altogether if three slaughtermen eould be produced to say that lie had egged them on to make their demands.

OUSTIXATE FIREMEN Wellington. January H. Tlio firemen on the .Maori rcfusc.l to go liack to work, so tlio vessel 'lid not leave to-night for Lyttelton. The Arahura, Te Anau ami Tarawera were. put on .hurriedly to fill the gap, and took about 700 passenger* to Lytteltoiu The men received the apology asked for from the I'ress Association, but they still refuse to work.