WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 June 1917, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE SHEARERS' DEMANDS. (Special Correspondent). • Wellington, May 31. , It does not appear that the refusal of ( the Slieepowners' Federation to receive the delegates of the Sharers' Association , will involve any serious quarrel. The ' federation states that it is willing to j moot representatives of the Shearers' Unions, which are registered under the , Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Tluv . association insists that it is entitled to ( speak for the unions. Failing the con> ( ference, the association has now issued a manifesto calling upon shearers to demand 27s Od per hundred and certain . other concessions next season. The shearers, as matters stand now, will be left to make their terms when the> new season opens, and the indications are that 1 if the war is in progress then, they wlli got the increased money without any agreement to support them. Some of the stations paid 27s Gd last season, in view of the shortage of shearers, the increased cost of living, and the high price of wool. The delegates of the Shearers' Association are suggesting that the slieepowners were guilty of some breach of faith in , refusing to meet tli&iu yesterday. Tlio correspondence that has passed between ■ the association and the Slieepowners' Fe- ; deration shows clearly' as a matter of fact, that the federation stated from the first that it was not prepared to ' negotiate with the association, but . Would meet properly-authorised repre- | sentatives in the Shearers' unions. When , the delegates arrived the federation as... cd if they had credentials from the un- ' ions. They replied that thev represented the association, and no conference took ! place. REDUCTION <DF RACING. j The Racing Conference has not yet , complied with the request of the Minister of Internal Affairs that it should submit alternative proposals for the re- ; duction of racing by one-third and by one-half. It is understood that somecommunications have exchanged be- ; tween the Minister and the conference : on the subject. The indications (ire ' that negotiations, whatever form they ' may take, will not move the Govern- ' ment from its declared intention. The ' decision to reduce racing by at least 1 one-third for the coming season was 1 reached by the Ministers after consider- 1 able discussion, and it appears to have ' been in line, with a recommendation 1 made by the Efficiency Commissioners. •