The Butchers' Strike

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 198, 19 February 1914, Page 5

The Butchers' Strike

•♦*-' MEDIATION" CONTINUED. GKNKRAL STRIKE NOT CONTEMPLATED. A FORTNIGHT'S SUPPLY. ' Uy C.'iible—Press Association—Copyright . Sydney, February IS. Mi'. Fstell, Minister of Labor, con tinned his efforts at mediation tlirou«;liOiit yesterday. He had two interviews villi the masters' committee and suggesti'd that the committee should confer with the union delegates. This was declined, on tlie ground that no possible good could result. The committee made the counter suggestion that Mr. Estell. the Secretary of the Labor Council, and the Industrial Commissioner should confer with the men with a view of their resuming work under the old conditions. The executive of the Labor Council considered the suggestion bit the effort made to get into touch with the officials of the Meat Infinstry Union failed. The latter, however, were informed from another source, and stated that the proposals ' were no good to them. At the Cabinet's instructions Mr. Estell will resume mediation to-day. Ho is hopeful of finding a way out. though lie insists that the Arbitration Act must ■be observed. The secretary of the Labor Fcdcration of Australasia says they are watching developments and are prepared to afford any help required, but the Federation has no idea of a general strike. should be confined to the meat industry. The Sydney employers state that there is sufficient frozen meat in the Stores to meet all Sydney's demands for fortnight or three weeks. They arranged to open three depots to-day, two in the city and one at Rockdale, to make distribution a possibility, but this move was blocked. The meeting •f the grand council of the Australasian Meat Industry decided to work all frown meat intended for export, but the question of distribution in the city was postponed till the meeting on Fri4ay. This is interpreted to mean that, if the council so decides, the cold storage employees will be asked to strike in sympathy with the other employees in the industry. Fresh meat is still available in the suburbs and country, but none in Hie city. Unionists explain that no stock was purchased on their behalf yesterday at the stock sales, because no slaughtering facilities were available since practically the whole space at the abattoirs is leased to the carcase butchers. The strike has already rendered idle four thousand men, including two hundred carcase carters. MEAT REPOTS OPENED. CRITICISM OF MR. HOLMAX.

WRONG PRESS COMMENT. r Received IS, 5.15 p.m. Sydney, February 17. The master butchers have opened two citv ilepots, and one at Rockdale to supmeat. A force of police was detailet to keep back the crowds eager to obtain supplies. Unionists refused to cart meat to the depots, but the masters managed to transport it. The intervention of the Labor Council is regarded hopefully by responsible men of Labor circles. x Mr. Estell spent the whole morning interviewing both sides to the dispute, but the results are withheld. The Sun, in a leader on the meat strikes, says that Mr. Holman is not Nero, nor anybody half as heartless, yet there is much satire in finding the Premier philosophising ,in New Zealand while Sydney is starving. It would be more interesting to read the cablegrams exchanged between Mr. Oirmichael and Mr. Holman, twe of the astutest brains of the Ministry, than to study daily in the Press the confessions of the members of the Cabinet that they can do nothing with the Butchers' and Slaughtermen's Usions, and nothing with the employers, who are spoiling for an industrial fight. So far as the present trouble has gone, neither Mr. Estell nor Mr. Flowers,

the men immediately held responsible for this labor dispute, seems to have •'-- spoken with any weight or influence. Responsible members of the Cabinet have remained silent. Mr. Holman : s airy sermons in New Zealand on social unrest are a joke, hi the light of the true seriousness of his position as Premier in a grave difficulty confronting 700,000 people in Sydney. The most amazing feature is the absence of an announcement that the Premier is immediately returning, instead of spending his time as an eloquent guest of the New Zealand Clubs." THE POSITION IN MELBOURNE. Melbourne, February 18. The trouble over the pen cleaning lias been settled and the slaughtermen 'hare resumed, but the butchers' shop employees have made claims bringing -them into line with the Sydney men's •tfemands, and arc demanding a conference within forty-eight hours. Failing it settlement they will leave work on Friday morning. The masters have granted a conference to-day.