SHEARERS' UNION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9693, 18 January 1910, Page 7

SHEARERS' UNION.

fREMITS FOR JNEXT CONFERENCE. A general meeting of members of the Shearers' Union was heid in the Dominion Hall on Saturday evening. Mr McLeod presided, and there was a good attendance. It was decided, on the suggestion \ of the President, that the meeting should devote its attention mainly to a discussion between members on matters arising out of the recent shearing operations. Standing orders were thereupon suspended, and instead of the usual correspondence being read a condensed report of proceedings since last meeting, drawn up by the secretary, was taken. The report congratulated the Union on the successful results of its organisers' efforts, particularly those of Mr Hawkins, the Maori organiser for Hawke's Bay, who had collected over £2OO in members' subscriptions A rough estimate of the Union's position placed the .xiembership at about j eighteen hundred. The receipts to I ciate totalled about £475, and there was still a large amount outstanding. The report, which also dealt with the matter of registration, was adopted as read. General business was then proceeded with. The first subject introduced was that of the Shearers' Accommodation Act, and a lively discussion followed, the opinion being freely and forcibly expressed that not only was the Act itself defective in many respects, but that it was not being properly administered by the Labour Department. One member present described a certain place in Wairarapa in these terms: "It was built in the first place as a dog kennel, for the housing of rabbiters' dogs, and used for that purpose for several years. Then they put the shearers into it, and the first year they did not even take the trouble to put a door to it. The shearers had to crawl in and out of the same hole that the dogs had crawled in and out of." It was decided to refer the matter to the Executiye, with instructions to make inquiries as to the provisions of the Queensland Shearers' Accommodation Act, with a view to having improvements made, and to report at next meeting. The question of engaging sheds through registry offices came up for ' discussion, and it was resolved to communicate with the Masterton A. and P. Society asking that body to co-operate with the Union in the matter of opening a bureau for the engagement of shearers. After dealing with several other matters of minor importance, the meeting passed into a discussion of remits for next Conference, which is to be held at Wellington in March next, and the following were decided ufkm: 1. That 48 hours shall constitute a week's work. Work to cease at 12 noon on Saturdays. 2. That all experts be required to. hold certificates of competency. 3. That all sheep be made free from dags at the sheepowner's ex pense upon being shorn. 4. 1 hat the Inspector of A :ommodation be authorised to examine the sanitary conditions of woolsheds. 5 That no member be permitted to use broad combs unless same are provided by the sheepfwner, for all j hands. 6. That candidates for membership who have in the past refused to join and who are unable to give satisfactory reasons for same, be charged double entrance tees.