THE SLAUGHTERMEN

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 14 January 1913, Page 5

THE SLAUGHTERMEN

OPINIONS OF FARMERS. "We are fighting for principle," said a farmer to an Age reporter yesterday. "It is riot a question of the half-penny per head that the slaughterers are claiming. We don't, know where the thing will end. If we give in this time, we shall have fresh demands next year. I believe we could find heaps of men to man the hoards. And they are good butchers, too." "Have you any sheep to put through this year?" asked the .reporter. "No," was the reply, "but my neighbours have."

"You are quite righ£," said another farmer. "We can't afford to let our works close down in such a season as this. We would ; l'o!?,9 hu)ndireds of thousands of pounds. And the worst of it is, tbe small man would be bit the hardest. I know of a dozen men who would be practically .ruined if the works were to close for a .season." "Do you think the fawners and their sons could do the killing arid shipping?" was a question put to this, farmer. "Absurd!" was the reply. "They would ruin the carcases and 1 ruin'the trade." A third farmer who was spoken to was strongly against closing down'. He did not. think the demand of the men. so far as wages were concerned, was unreasonable. He objected, however. to the proposal to have only one learner in twenty men. "if the men only knew it." he said, "they are killing'their own goose by making this, request." This farmer, also, laughed at the idea of the farmers or their sons doing the killing.

Farmers who were addressed on the subject on Saturday a ppeare<] to he very much divided. The" generality of those who had sheep fattening, how'ever; wore of tTio opinion that the local works should he kept open- at all costs. This opinion, too, is shared by the- whole of the tradespeople in the town. AFFECTING THE STOCK MARKET POSITION AT PALMER,STON. PALMERSTON N., Last Night.

Fears of a slaughtermen's strike are ■deterring: farmers from hnyin? stock, owing to the possibility? of tHeir being unable to quit them when fat. The present Tifelessness . in. the stock market is attributed partly to this, and partly to the backward state of the rape crops. While farmers realise the importance of refraining from defying the workers, and of precipitating trouble,. the general feeling is that if these demands are going to be an annual affair, it would, be better to fight now and have it over. 1 POSITION AT TIMARU. TIMARU, Last. Nitrht, There has been a good deal <>f talk regarding what will happen at the freezing works when the men's notice expires on the 17th, but no information is available regarding the men's or the companies' intentions. It is stated that it would he impossible for the farmers to fill the boards, all hands being needed for the harvest.