THE SHEEP-OWNERS' MEETING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10117, 12 October 1910, Page 5

THE SHEEP-OWNERS' MEETING.

To the Editor. Sir,—My attention has , just been drawn to a report in your issue of Monday, 10th, of a meeting of sheepownerri held in Masterton on Saturday last, and addressed by Mr Nevins. That gentleman evidently imagines he is doing his fellow pastoralists y. Oman service, firstly, by telling - them what they already know; secondly, by making some glaring misstatements which Mr knows to be false. Your 'report states, inter alia, "An attempt has been made to bring shed hands under an award, but, so far, this had failed." I may state, Sir, that such a case, so far, has not come before the Arbitration " Court, so it is interesting to know where Mr Nevins gets his information. The second mis-. statement is aa follows—"He was satisfied himself that the shearers put up much bigger with lambs than with big sheep. The shearers' representatives, however, tried to convince the Court that they did not." Now, M*r. the shearers' representatives, of whom I was one, never called one tittle of evidence, nor asked one question re iambs or sheep in or before th* Court, when the case was being dealt with, and I challenge Mr Nevins, or anyone else, to disprove my statement. My friend Mr Nevins states that large shearing contractors in Australia had offered to come over and shear their sheep. Just so; but there is a vast difference between getting contractors and getting sharers. Re the learners Mr Nevins talks about, this i 3 a capital idea, for the shearers and their Union. If the farmers will guarantee to teach these men to shear, the Shearers' Union will guarantee to find a way to organise them, and thereby strengthen our ranks.- I am, etc.,

E. WILMORE ABBOTT, Sec. Shearers' Union, Masterton, October 11th, 1910.