ENGAGING OF SHEARERS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9712, 7 February 1910, Page 7

ENGAGING OF SHEARERS.

AN OFFICIAL SUGGESTION. DISCUSSION AT MASTERTuN A. •AND P. ASSOCIATION. At the meeting of the General Committee of the M°sterton A, and h P. Association on Saturday, the following letter was read from the secretary of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Federated Shearers' Union: —"By direction of the I have much pleasure in bringing under your notice the matter of establishing a registry office for the engagement of workers, particularly of shearers and shed hands. It occurs to us that a both your Society and ours maintain offices, at the present time, such an undertaking would 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 inteerfere in any way; in the choice of employees. We recognise that employers have an abso luta right to a free hand in the matter, our only concern being to assist shearers and others in securing the maximum employment at a m inftnum of cost and inconvenience, and to protect them from the rapacity of the privately run registry offices. The advantages to sheepowners would be equally great. By adopting this suggestion, ihey would be tupping, and to a large extent controlling, the sources of labour supply, instead of, as at present, leaving the matter largely to chance. Should these objects commend themselves to your members, and they surely will, I trust the matter will receive careful andjfavourable consideration, and we can afterwards consider the question, as to what way and to what extent my Union can assist in the matter." The chairman (Mr G. C. Summerell) was of opinion that it was advisable to "leave well alone." The matter was rather out of the province of an agricultural and pastoral association. Mr A. J. Stone-Wigg stated that the fees in connection with engaging shearers were governed by law. Mr W. J. Welch said that it had occurred to him that their secretary might have a list posted up in his office of shearers waiting engagement and owners requiring shearers. The chairman said he gathered from the letter Union wanted the Association to do the work. It seemed to him that the matter was entirely apart from the business of the Association. Mr W. Perry stated that members did not se.em to realise the amount of work stich a proposal would entail 01 their secretary. There would be needless work attending to the telephone. As it wa3 not quite clear what the Union wanted, he thought it would be a grand idea tu appoint a snail committee to go into the matter and report at next meeting. ,/ Thie suggestion was- adopted, and a committee consisting of Messrs W. Pprry, E. Harper and W. J. Welch was appointed.