THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1913. THE SLAUGHTERMEN.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 13 January 1913, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1913. THE SLAUGHTERMEN.

The position in regard: to the frozen I meat industry in Now Zealand is exceedingly critical at the present moment. The slaughtermen, who re- , present about one-seventh of the employees of the various works, have 1 mado demand* for an increase in pay; and for other concessions of a more I or less important character. The 'Companies desired that the demand I should go before the Arbitration Court, but the men, who are practicr ally affiliated with the Federation of Labour, have no confidence in the Court, and have decided to adopt the only other alternative. They have cancelled their registration as Unionists, and "when, the awards under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act expire they are at liberty to discontinue work. For the purposes of this case it is not necessary to discuss the effectiveness of a law which permits a cessation of work, which is tantamount to a strike, in the very busiest part of a season. The law must be taken as it stands. The men are acting in a perfectly legal manner in ceasing work. All that the Companies have to deckle, in the meantime, is whether the demands of the men [are reasonable or unreasonable. A conference of the Companies was held, and deckled to make an offer of 27s 6d per hundred sheep, in lien of the 25s per hundred that is now pak*. This offer, it is understood, ha« been refused, the men demanding 30-s per hundred. Tt is for the Companies I now to decide whether they will grant i the full demand of the men, or close 'down their works. So far a,s the WeTilington Companies- are concerned, ft is stated that thev are determined to resist the demand, and will furht the [thing to a finish. Are they well-ad-vised in doing so? The Executive of thn Farmer*' TTjmon «tato that they are. "But does this Executive repre- ( sent the views of the great bulk of tbo farmers? Tf a poll of the farm- I ers of the Wairarapa wore taken to- ) morrow, we venture the opinion that j it would favour the granting of <hi> ' increased pav to the men in preference to the closing down of the work* : What does fh<> demand ronrcsent? 'A' h'ttl<> more than one-halfpenny per h<wl on sh'eeo find lambs'. Can it hj" j said Mint this is aoing £o ruin the I fnmnv«? The t.n'r"? Hint are being (

given for sheep and lambs is very high this .season, higher, in fact, than. it has boon tor many years. Are t.bx?, fanners jroiiiLr; to sacrifice three and four .shillings per head on their sheep and lambs for the sake of one halfpenny- per head? That is the position in a nutshell. The Farmers' Union states that, "if a light has tocome, it is letter to come in a favourable season like the present than in one when feed is scarce." That is trifling with the question. Hundreds of the smaller farmers cannot afford to allow their turnip and rape crops, fco say nothing of their pastures, to be f'-d off for nothing. It may bo j I. alright for the big ma-n. who has an j i abundance of grass. But it is ques- j Itionnble whether even lie can afford.] j to lose the splendid prices now ruling i for stock. Tf the market were do- : j | pressed, the position would, bo en- \ ; tirely different. Under existing cir- [ euni'Stances it would be little short lof a calamity if the works were, to i close down. Tt is fortunate, that, so j far as the Wellington Farmers' Meat j Company is concerned, it has made ! no compact to act in concert with oth!er Companies. Tt may readily be understood that, if the'works were to ;be closed, the smaller Companies I would suffer in a proportionately greater decree than the larger Corn- '; pariies. The Wellington Farmers' j Meat Company would lose in a week a ' greater amount than is involved in the increased pay demanded bv the '; men. There is onlv one course open, therefore, to the Directors of the Wellington Farmers' Meat Company. If the remaining Companies will not come to terms with the men, it will be compelled, in its own interests, to I open negotiations on its own account, land secure the best terms it can. ■ The talk of farmers' sons doing the , slaughtering is sheer nonsense. No I Company would take the risk of its i good name being sacrificed on the I London market. Moreover, u diffi- | oulty would arise with the waterside : workers, which would he hard to overcome. Taking all things into consid- , oration, we are forced to the ooncluj sion that the Companies would be ; acting in their own interests, and in j those of the farmers, by conceding the I demands of the men, at anyrate so far as the rate of pay is concerned. , The .matter of learners is a more im- , portant one. Tt virtally concerns, I the future of the industry, and the j slaughtermen should not he insistent lon this point. We" believe that, if • the Companies -were to approach the men in a conciliatory spirit, ibis por- "., tion of the demand would not be pre.'v. sod. The events of the next few , days -will be awaited with absorbing ■ interest by the farming community.