The Threshing mill Owners’ Claims.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 263, 30 September 1902, Page 3

The Threshing mill Owners’ Claims.

From the Timaru Herald we learn that a meeting of threshing mill owners was held on Saturday afternoon for the purpose of considering the demands Which have been brought forward by the Waimate Workers’ Industrial Union of Workers, and on which demands certain threshing mill owners in the district have been cited to appear before the Arbitration Court. The chairman (Mr W. G. Campbell), in reply to a question, said the Arbitraion Court sat some tine next month.

In reply to a question as to wh tber Waimate had appointed anybody to represent them, Mr W. Quinn said one had been appointed, but he thought delegates should bo appointed from all over South Canterbury. The chairman said they would have to consider this. It was quite'evident that they would have to give the men more than they had been getting, but payment by the hour would not suit in this district, because they have not the same class of men, some of whom would prefer piecework to hour work. Mr Brookland said he never had a man who wanted to work hy the hour. Last season was a bad one and did not pay the men well. He thought that if they gave an all round man Is per 1000 extra he would be quite satisfied, and it would hurt the farmer very little t# do that. The chairman said they were paying bedrock prices now, and if they paid more they might just as well be lying idle.

The several demands made by the Waimate workers were then criticised. These are briefly set forth in the following circular, which had been sent to threshing mill owners : “As certain of the threshing mill owners in this district have been cited to appear before the Arbitration Court to answer demands brought forward by the Waimate Workers’ Industrial Union of Workers, it was thought expedient for the threshing m 11 own-rs to unite anl protest agunst the-m and any other demands tnat may from time to time arise. Meetings have been held, with the result that a union his been formed, called the Sooth Canterbury Threshing Owners’ Industrial Union of Employers, and registered under ,the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1900. The present demands of the Workers’ Union are (1) That paying employees at that the hours of labour at a threshing mill shall be ten per day ; (3) that employees shall be p aid for shifting mill from stack to stack ; (4) that all men employed at a threshing mill shall be paid Is per hour, the feeder excepted, who shall be paid Is 61 per hour ; the mill-owner in addition to supply good wholesome food free of charge ; (5) three men to be employed at the bags at all mills ; (6) memb-rs of any union to have preference of employment. As wa consider the demands of the Workers’ Union crushing to the interests of m llowners, we have deci led to defend the case. Wo beg to point out the importance of co-operation amongst all the millowners of Canterbury, as should the Workers’ Union gain their demands the decision would affect not only those mill-owners who hare been cited, but every threshing mill owner in the Industrial District of Canterbury would be forcsd to abide by such decision for three years. As the case affects not only tlus district, we have decided to extend mir membership to all parts of .Canterbury, and will be pleased to enroll you as a member of the Union. The annual subscription has been fixed at a guinea, on wh ch beino paid to the secretary your name will bo placed on the list of m-.mb.irs, and you will be entitlelto v i‘o m the motions tour meetings eir.li -r person illy or by proxy. A-* the exp-i ci or defeii ling toe c ise will be co si m-inle, miy we point out the advisabi ity of as many mill-owners as possible mining the Union, thus increasing mir s name icilly as well as fin i i • i -i 1 1 y. aid cn.ioiing ui to secure the .-•‘i vi,;es of a r-ad competent man to deft n I mr ease in the arbitration Court.” After a di m a proposal was made to appoint n ; ai nttee to gain information and ge' . eg d opinion, to report to a meeting that uay fortnight, and this was agreed to.