SHEARERS' DISPUTE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 9014, 27 December 1907, Page 3

SHEARERS' DISPUTE.

A meeting of woolgrowers in the Masterton district was held in the A. and P. offices on Tuesday afternoon, to consider a circular received from Mr J. G. Wilson, Wellington Provincial President of the Farmers' Union, in connection with the shearers' dispute. Mr W. Perry presided, and there were eighteen others present. The circular was as follows: "When the Union was formed disputes with workers in connection with Agricultural and Pastoral pursuits were not contemplated, and, therefore, it was never anticipated ttft,' the Farmers' Union could be Mwn into one. Without registering as an Industrial Union they can, however, take upon themselves the whole. arrangement of the case, as has been done in Canterbury. There is this difference in the two cases in our present dispute, viz.:— It has been filed in office of the Conciliation Board; in the Canterbury case it was filed in the Arbitration Court and referred by that Court to the Conciliation Board to take evi-

dence. So the case had to be taken there or else go by default. In the Otago and Southland case (Musterers, etc.), the employers did not appear before the Conciliation Court, but said they would appear before the Arbitration Court. It is obvious that our organisation forms the bast means of uniting the agricultural and pastoral employers and to make a counter move; and I should advise (pending the decision of the Executive, who Thave not yet met to consider the question), that we appear at the first meeting of thejConciliation Board and state that we entirely object to the Conciliation Board as a tribunal, some of the member* of which have fostered, as far as lay in their power, disputes of a similar nature, and in the case of the shearers one member has been the prime mover. I can arrange that we should be represented at the fir3t meeting (and all meetings, if necessary), and a statement made that employers do not intend to appear before the Conciliation Board, lout we will do so when the case comes be- • fore the Arbitration Court. This all Aeans an expenditure of a cor.sider- . Jble amount of money, and the funds &f the Union could not be used for this purpose. As in the case of other districts, the sheep-farmers have subscribed, and funds have been pro vided for the special purpose of appearing in the disputes. 1 ■would,. therefore, appeal to all sheep-owners to subscribe*for this purpose, according to the number of sheep they have. The sheep tax has been abolished, chiefly through our efforts, and the money might well be spent in defending agriculturists and pastoralists in this and similar disputes. It will be seen that the dispute is upon us immediately, and action must be taken at 'once,' so that a meeting of the branch should be held and active means taken to provide special funds to fight the question. I therefore appeal to one and all to assist. The meeting, which was held in committee,decided to lot the Farmers' Union Executive represent it when the dispute is before the Conciliation . Board and Arbitration Court.