WORK AND WAGES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 300, 12 May 1913, Page 5

WORK AND WAGES.

THE TIMARU TROUBLE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Ashburton, Last night. Two members of the Smithfield Freezing Works Strike Committee visited Fairfield Works to-day with the object of enlisting the support of the local men. A meeting was called for 12 noon, but only two Unionist butchers put in an appearance. These reported that the freezers were sympathetic, but that apart from the freezers and Unionist butchers, there was no sympathy with the Smithfield men. The 'reception given the delegates was cold and discouraging. Work proceeded expeditiously to-day on the Zealandic, chiefly with' free hibour from the farms, and the ship got away sooner than was anticipated. The small steamer Storm arrived, and was promptly loaded by free labor. The largest meeting ever on record assembled at Tattersall's Horse Mart this afternoon. It was convened bv the President of the Farmers' Union, and dealt with the situation. Mr. Talbot (the President) spoke strongly against the strike among the watersiders ,as being without a scintilla of justification. The majority of the people sympathised with the just aims of Unionism, but a strike of this kind was calculated to destroy all that sympathy. Unionists had wantonly stopped the work of the port, and the farmers had been forced to put an end to an intolerable situation. The time had come to try and put a final stop to that sort of'thing. The place was getting a bad name through continual strikes. Some remedy must be sought and he urged farmers 'and business people to combine to provide it, as all their interests suffered inconvenience, and loss. All should combine to secure that end. A motion that a committee representing the Farmers' Union, the A. and P. Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and the shipping firms be set up to take such steps as they might deem desirable to preserve the trade of the port, was carried with great applause. Mr. W. Evans, chairman of the Atlas Flour Mill Company, spoke on the same liifis, and characterised the action of the Unionists as tyrannical. He regretted that the Union Steamship Company had not taken a firmer stand over the previous watersiders' strike. There was nothing for it now but for everyone to be firm and deal with the Union —a remark which was greatly applauded. jvlr. R. Gould, the Secretary of the Waterside Union, endeavoured several times to speak, but could not get a hearing. After his first essay, when he was proceeding to ask that a conference be agreed to, the meeting replied that the time for a conference had gone by, and there was nothing to confer about. Mr. Clanses, a member of the Union, blamed the stationmaster for the men's refusal to work on the Pukaki, because he sent to work with them, men who had been working with free labour at the Zealandic • The meeting this, and said that the men themselves were wholly to blame. A numerous committee was appointed in pursuance of the resolution, and all present who were agreeable, were asked to sign stating their willingness to assist to work the port.