AUSTRALIAN SHEARING.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2708, 6 September 1894, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN SHEARING.

The shearing difficulty in Australia is assuming an aspect which all must deplore. Nothing can justify the violent attitude assumed by the shearers, but while condemning them it must not be forgotten that the squatters are not also free from blame. The difficulty has arisen in this way: At the time of the last strike, when the question was whether unionists would work with free laborers or not, an agreement was then entered into for, we believe, five years, under which the rate of wages and other conditions were settled. The shearers claim nothing but adherence to this agreement, but the pastoralists have broken it. The pastoralists met at a conference in Sydney some months ago, and ignoring this solemn contract into which they had entered a year or two before, took advantage of the depressed condition of the labor market to lower the price of shearing, and framed conditions under which shearing would be carried out to suit themselyes. A ponference of the shearers met at the same time and place, and frequently made overtures to the pastoralists to hold a joint conference of both parties, but this was refused. The pastoralists -completely ignored the shearers and broke the agree—and hence the trouble. Now if any mou., "-nd to set a good example party was before the other the pas- _ - ao be that party, but instead of they have broken the solemn contract into which they entered a yf ar ? r ■ before. This is not calculated to i uS P ire the men with any high estimate of the value of the solemn promises ot tne wealthy and educated classes, and car a y if the shearers are now indulging excesses, the example set by the paa ora ists before them is not of a high chara • While condemning the conduct o shearers in resorting to violence, there fore, there can be no justification action of the pastoralists. One is a* o' l as the other, and both will doubtless suffer by their misconduct. The pastoialists have the law on their side, i hey are not bound by law to carry out the agreement and they have taken advantage or this to the fullest extent. They appear to regard the moral obligation imposed upon them with indifference so long as they can cut down the price of shearing 4s or 5s per 100 sheep. On the other hand, the law obliges the shearers to keep the peace, and if they break it punishment must follow. It is most regrettable that this industrial warfare should be permitted to exist, and it appears to us that we ought to congratulate ourselves on that in this colony strikes are at an end. To the Hon. W. P. Reeves we owe this blessing. He

has persisted in his efforts until, despite a most determined opposition, he has carried through both Houses the Arbitration and Conciliation Bill, under which all disputes between employer and employed will in future be settled by a properly constituted tribunal. This is the most civilised way to settle trade disputes, and if such a law existed in Australia the present trouble about shearing would not have occurred.