ENGAGING OF SHEARERS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9693, 18 January 1910, Page 6

ENGAGING OF SHEARERS.

AN OFFICIAL SUGGESTION. Ti:e following letter has been sent to Mr G. Sykes, secretary of the Mastertoi A. and P. Association, by Mr P. F. Darcy, general sacretary of the New Zealand Federated Shearers, who is at present in Masterton, and acting f>;r the local branch in the absence of Mr E. W. Abbott:— "By direction of the above, I have much pleasure in bringing under your Society's notice the matter of establishing a registry office for the engagement of workers, particularly of shearers and shed hands. It occurs to us that as both your Society and ours maintain offices, at the Dresent time, such an undertaking <vould require little, if any, additional expense, and would be productive of great benefits to both parties. Let me hasten to assure you that my Union has no desire to interfere in any way in the choice of employees. We recognise that employers have an absolute right to a free hand in the matter, our only concern being to assist shearers and others in securing the maximum employment at a minimum of cost and inconvenience, and to protect them from the rapacity of the privately run registry ofrues. The advantages to sheep-owners would be equally great. By adopting this suggestion, they would be tapping, and to a large extent controlling, the sources of labour supply, instead of, as at presei.t, leaving the matter largely to chance. Should these objects commend themselves to your members, and they surely wiU, I trust the matter will receive careful and favourable consideration, and we can afterwards consider the questior. as to what way and to what extent my Union can assist in the matter. *'