THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 1913. THE ORISIS PAST.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 27 January 1913, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 1913. THE ORISIS PAST.

It will be learned! with intense' satisfaction by- the -majority of our reader# that, so far as, she AVairarapa isP «*>»'- cerned, the slaughtermen'* crisis is past. As a result of a conference held oh Saturday last, at which a conj ciliatory spirit was shown on bothi side*, an agreement was arrived at which will enable the locaV works to be kept open, and will relieve the tension j that .has existed in the minds of the settlers of the district during the last few weeks. The terms of the settlement are such that no person who ha-s the true interests of the country at heart will cavil at. Practically the ; only concession made to the men, so far as the local work# are concerned, is the difference between 27s 6d' and 30s per hundred sheep, whioli, taken is.,tlie aggregate, will not, represent more than £2OO over the remainder of the season. Tt can surely mot be said that the Company has sacrificed any vital principle in making this concession. particularly when it is rememI bered that tho wa-sres paid under the <new agreement will be no higher than those paid in some parts of Australia-. In regard to the conditions of employment, those will practically remain the' same as in the past. The minor alterations that have .been made will not affect the Wellington' Farmers' Meat Company to any mater . extent. Tho portion of'the demand,« over which there was likely to bo serioys contention, i.e.. relating to learners, wa« wisely abandoned* by the men. It is fair to say that, had tho companies met the slaughtermen in an amicable spirit from the beginning, it would have beem made clear that this demand was not insisted upon, far.. m the -other conditions, are Concerned, they are not of a very serious character. Th« question of overtime does not concern tho local Corn pany, though it may, and possibly does, affect some of the larger companies. The only fault in the present agreement is that there i,s no immediate means of enforcing it in law. Tho Company, for its part, will doubtless adhere to an agreement honourably made, and we have no doubt that the men will do likewise. At the same time, it would have been more satisfactory had the agreement been made binding upon both narties bv an award under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. 'This cannot bo done for tho present, as tlvo men have cancelled their registration as an union. Tt is possible, however, that when the other companion mine illtn ]jnp—as wo sincerely hope thev will do—the men will again register and seek an award under the Arbitration Act. Tho larger -companies may imagine they have a grievance against the local Company- for acting ' -independently. From the very com-rn en cement of the negotiations, however, the Tnanaginr: 1 director -of the "Wellington Farmers' Meat Company made it clear that he I could not bo bound by the decision of the other companies. He has. there- I fore, acted in t»q manner which eouM

be construed as unfair nr. dishonourable. The directors ol the jucal Company have, viewed the matter entirely from tho point of vie-.r of the interests of the settlers of the district ill which they are doing l>u ;inoss. 'i.nd j wo venture the (.-pinion that nine--' j tenths of these settlers wijl applyud" ! their actioJi. Tin* men, for.their pat L I have shown a willingness to meet tin Company-, in a fair way. and if their ' demand in tho matter of wages may be considered excessive, ■it certainly ( could not be resisted - with any pros- . poet :of success, it is sincerely to be .hoped that other sections of the workers will-not lose their heads on account ! of the concessions now granted, and | make demands upon the settlers which , will result 'in open, hostility. The farmers are human,'as are other people. They are willing to <[o the right thing by the - men in their employ. But if they are going to be pursued relentlessly, the result will most assuredly be tho locking up of capital.' i.followed by unemployment and dLsi tress. Tn all good faith we would warn the workers that there is a , stage in industrialism which, if ovfrrI stepped, will' bring a reaction of a juio<>t disastrous character.