THE SLAUGHTERMEN

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 9 January 1913, Page 5

THE SLAUGHTERMEN

GIVE NOTICE TO OEASE WORK.

IN FOURTEEN DAYS,

The slaughtermen employed in the freezing works at Petone and NgahauSga have given notice of intention to cease work in a fortnight. Tins notioe is required in °™ or + ™ aV oid liability to penalties Arbitration Amendment Act of 1908, which provides that no fewer than U days' notice must be given in writing «f'intention to cease ™rt m certj™ specified industries in order to make « strike lawful. A strike cannot, of course be law--fid in any circumstances if the worKws conoemed of a union »ndor the Arbitration Act Among the specified industries mentioned -i» the section b: "The slaughtering or supplyof meat for domestic consump- * Nortrike of the slaughtermen could at present be lawful because■ tteir union is registered under the> A.bit™ tion Act, but notice of wt«ta« J» cancel registration J££> and the cancellation wil) be compete *n respect of. all the unions .of slaughtermen in New Zealand in.le.ss than 1 ortnight. Also, it would be unlawful for the men to strike during the , u rrency of an Arbitration Court award made in. respect to their industry, but the award affecting the slaughtermen in Wellington district expires on January 17. After that date it will be possible for the butchers to strike when they please without incurring penalties In actual fact the nohce of 14 days was scarcely necessary, for as appears from the provision in the. Act Quoted above, notice is necessary only if the slaughtering is pf meat tor llstic consumption/'" .A; consider•Me quantity of meat for domestic consumption is killed and dressed both »t the Ngahauranga and Fetonc ™rks but:it is infinitesimal compared with tho.quantity slaughtered for exshould be stated also that the notice is only provisional at the moment, because a ballot is hem? taken now on the quests of whether the me n will accept tile terms offered by the companies to the men some days ««ro The butchers now receive 35s poV' hundred sheep or lambs killed and dressed, and they have made a demand for 80s., The .companies refused to grant this rate, but after a time they met in conference, and then nn offer of 27 8 6d was made to butchers both in the North and South Islands. If, of course, the ballot is m favour of art acceptance of the companies' offer the trouble is ended, and the notice to cease work will lapse. If on the other hand, the men refuse to'accept 27s 6d., there may be industrial trouble in the meat export industry. ' , If there should be a cessation of work and stock has to be kept by -tie farmers,, the prime sheep which should be at'once killed and frozen trill, of course, consume more pasture. and in individual cases graziera maybe inconvenienced. But generally the pastures in Wellington province this year are exceptionally abundant, and the country is under-stocked. Feed is going to waste in many places. Nevertheless, a stoppage of work tor however short a period will decrease the total amount of frozen meat ex-ported.—-Dominion. NO NOTIOE SERVED LOCALLY. AN ADJUSTMENT QUITE POSSIBLE. 'A" representative of the Wairarapa Age yesterday interviewed Mr J. C. Cooper, managing director of the Wellington Farmers'.' ;Meat Company, relative to the position. Mr Cooper stated that, so far as his Company "was concerned, notice had not yet been given of the intention to cease work. He did not consider, however, that such notice was necessary, as the local Company was not supplying meat for domestic consumption in the same way as the Wellington companies. The local award expired on January frlst. hut the Wellington awards expired on January 17th. Asked if he knew the result of the ballot of the slaughtermen, Mr Cooper stated that he did not. "What about the Canterbury agreements ?"'asked the reporter.

Mr Cooper said .these' agreements expired on the 17th inst., and he had »ot heard of notice having been given to cea<«e work in respect to them. The fact was that negotiations were still proceeding. "How would a cessation of vrork affect this district?"

"It would affect it very badly. We have not put through a quarter of the •stock-available- this season,, although we aire ahead'of'what was put, .through at this'time last year. A number of •settlers have contracts that must ba filled.". 1

"Is" the decision of the Companies to nav only 27s 6d per- hundred final?"

"Personally," said Mr Cooper, "T think the least said on the Question the better. I am quite positive that the matter can be adjusted without trouble. Negotiations may be opeuo>* Tip .again at any moment. T tin" l '" if the-.'wages question, were settled, there would be no. difficulty about the other matters. So far a-s my Company i,S concerned, we have never adopted overtime, and as far back as July last we decided to cover

sheep pens." "But is not the demand of the men A very "big one?" "Tt is certainly big; but it must be remembered that last year the Wellington Companies gave a proportionately higher rise to other men engaged in the works."

Tn conclusion, Mr Cooper stated

that he wn-s sanguine that.the matter wonkl be fixed up, provided the Companies met the men in a. fair spirit-

THE CANTERBURY POSITION.

XO NOTICE RECEIVED

OPINIONS OF FARMERS

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) GtmiSTCHURCH, Last Night

The managers of tlie Christchureh and Canterbury Meat Companies state that their companies have not yet re- I ceived any notice of the intention of [ the Canterbury -slaughtermen to cease work. Mr N. L. Macßeth, manager of the Canterbury Company, further stated, that as things were at * pre- j sent it was impossible to say whether j the proposed strike would extend to Canterbury, for up till now no definite decision had been arrived at as to I whether tlie men's demand would or would not be complied with. Farmers who were interviewed on the subject expressed varying opinions. One said that he did not care much what happened, and he-thought it would be quite a good thing for the colony if the slaughtermen struck. "The last time they did it," he declared, "the cockies made thousands. | The country is understocked at present, and if we have to keep our sheep ] I it will be a good thing for-us. There is heaps of feed about, and the onlymen who may feel the pinch a bit are j those who are'renting high priced I land, and who naturally want their returns in as soon as possible. If the ' farmers want to bnild up and improve their flocks, they will,have to cease all this killing of their best ewe lambs. At present, in nearly every case, everything th-it the buvers will take goes' and the farmer relies on buying to keep his owe flock. A practice like this, constantly indulged in, will soon cause the breeding of flocks to deteriorate, as only inferior ewe lambs are kept as ewes, because these are the onlv ones not taken by the buyers. I don't think the idea of farmers working the slaughterhouse would pan out verv well. The'v could do the work all right. T believe, but what about +he '""shipping of the stuff? Wouldn't jthe wharf labourers, etc., have something to sav in the matter?"