SHEARING TROUBLES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4757, 26 June 1894, Page 2

SHEARING TROUBLES.

The Pastoralists Decline a Conference, !;:■ ■ - . Sypsbv, June 21, ' Tho Pastoralists' Council, jn reply to the rctjiiopi. of tho Intercolonial Conference'of Australian BushUjiions forii couferoiicc to discuss tlio new shearing agreement, Ims, after full 'consideration with tho Pastoralists' Unions of Now South Walos, Victorias find South Australia, unanimously:decidedfthat it is not necessary to hold a conference. It regrets that the workers should tluenten to strike, which would only intensify • tho. present condition! of things,' 1 The Cmtucil adds tliht such action is hot warranted by the present shearing rates, or the conditions undcnrhiclj employes Mcrc : asked. ' A ■ J:' ""- i Tlie. Secretary'of tlib Busli Workers' Union,..replying, to the letter jconveying tho decision of tho Pastoralists" Council, concludes , thus You will pardoii iis'if ivo say that yon havebecu.OTfigiint aptl stiffiieoked;* instcad^of \bqing 'in&tsifiil.U 'yotf 1 tfuiitjtoV ftro sifong yoU liafo aetod-tlio partof;Onental:dcppbfs. l As mi la§t Torjljwe ogress oi\r pain and disappointment tip your, rofijanl to agroo to; a conforonco, and wo . now placo at your floor tho responsibility for tMcoinwg struggle, t J

An lMiiCot mto tho origin of tlio firf^v ' hich destroyed thoTown Board anl§" } } lin t ar M o^C9 ' o, f' J uuo fithnPSV, t J-MrT Hutohi&r „ t'' au s; l,o mrg m Mcssrs^v^"; |® d feflplton, W. Mcrtffe', f'.l'siJJ J^^ or an( l j' Tockor ffoYnyasdHi£ nsuranco Company, , llio first mtnoss called was "Witfiam M 4 a Board *36pß looting TTfls held on the night provionsM® 5 ™ ' lro i and that a cheque was passcd t M|||l na drawn for tlio insurance premiums,7Jja Vtho \ ictoria office,iuwhicli i'gfi K ,\ n t su #for£fe, Ho mommas oMesHß[ loam. Ho slated that on tho night»s|B| roviousto the fire, the Board Xl'3, ™ incml)crs,were not rai tlicminutesnnHcoiild noranfirm'^^^H I ™;.',.ii?,. r ßi!gh notes,could not bo ITtflM X .I' l ° -PrisyiOHs n/ ' L°;, partially t ctcd n< fttfl ,afonfterrnstWKg7.Tl, 0 Clerk li® , f| tho Board: overbeou cor- i >^^^B ict m ins aecbuhtsPWas not an nro of A lore having been any irrcgularilics in %» had always ivto satisfaction. Donald, builder,.(Treasurer to all wks'intotheilfo, including tlio was "re, the rate-book", Ho stated that' ho.locked tlio I 1 ? 1 ' °f tlib.oflloci:-ivftcrsjilovriiig out tlio then jio J)lon T but both -y'M table in the 1 f oard-rooiii ashvoljias the candlo which':;,iwH as on tho reporters' table. He stated lat oil tile day;ofJtlio Board, mooting, r >&H 0 received a lncssngo from" ono of.':M@B !w s i%ifi|j that Lis father , #s in bed aiid 'could not attend tho ' ■ icetmgiiimd'risking if ho would act for ?sis;B mi as Clerk; but he did not recoil o ny rnonbys from the Clerk on the' dajV4®| f; lc " re ' '.There was .MplcasantnessXlM'B ■' the meeting over 'sonio-'covrcspond- ■ acc from tlio County Council, '.a.slaughter-houso and ihe>v : vyjH iinutcswcronot confirmed. It was in; • ' $■ ;'l c Hi? W ll f ? r tUo ? rougli minutes t NeyfoYajv any kbyi;||j|M f tlio safe. koyslto.H-teM iq ofljce. and tlio Clcik %M opMucother.yiobk no inventory bfX:||^B Wjl'in'n Hit c ma n t nightman, deposed Imt lie was going -his rounds on :tho wrningof tlio fire. He passed tho luces jost about live, and saw. nptliing; miss; but as ho was returning ivcnty minutes later, lie saw tho flames oming out of tho window' of the Ton ut joiird Office nt'tho back of the building. lo at once called Mr Donald,the Trcas- ' John Crawford, the ranger, giwe ovidnco corroborative of tliatof Mr Douald. to ndded that when ho passed tlio fficcs both at 11 p.m, anil midnight . liero was notliing amiss: Hanuah .Bourn,", caretaker, deposed liat between half-past nine and quarter - p . ten. she.locked th#Board room door t ' - nd nboiit clovoil o'clock. On tlio samo > iglit she walked round hcrplaco, wlucli: 1 within a few yards of the sccno of | ho fire. At about five next morning, lie was awakened bythosmellol smoke. H !lio got lop' aiid went round her rooms i?ff| joking for fire, but discovered nothiug, iho went backito bc(l,?btit got up a short i H rhile afterwards arid looked out of ono , | I her windows.' ; She sa# tho lire just / ; { H ircaking through tlio wall of tho front WH ooiii, • Slio awoke tlio icw Town Hall, whoresidyi||Hß|j^^^^| jio k^ppßll^^^^B one could get at *it%rin^ffi^H Charles Keys, blacksmith, in tlio cmiloy of W. Cundy, and Olcrk to the H .'own Board," deposed that on Sunday, ; ho 3rd inst., ,hfl was-in tho Board office ' ■'• | ireparing accounts for»J;ke meeting nc\t H .■Alwaypkbpt;|iojbooks m tlio afo^; Had collected nolloiieysiiwo tho | >rovious - meeting, ,but '.jiad a certain H .mount of money *in ' hind (£G 10s ; H was--'iit the Treasurer's ho had sc)iK | i" meWageVTiio'Wcasurcr asking him H o talto over liis duties and to.bauk tho H lioiioy.. Ou tlio' samb night |lr Donald • | nfonned liiin 1 that be had'not received - lis message till after tlirebo.'clock. Ho jH net Donald on tho saiiio night is tbb";' r t| neotijlgat.a qtiarter'to nine. Tho cash '' | ;nb.bkiwi9 kept iiithb:safe, the last entry I fas in Novcinber-y; Tho accounts wcro , ■ audited last July 1 , iihd tlioro was a small deficiency.this year in.lus cash account. ': ■''H His, books had jiist been audited, and , H thero was . a deficiency of . about £4, • otherwise thoy;wbro;: satisfactory. Tho ,' H liloiiey left in - the liaiik book was for dog fees from Mr Bock, wgt from Mrs Bowcn, and -feds from the pound ' ' Mr Donald wiis. horo ro-callod, and ' I stated that it was about 0 o'clock when : ho left tho Town : Board office, ho did not at tlio Empirp Hotel on that night, nor did'ho rcccivo auy keys from the Clerk, .. . H

Continuing his evidence Mr Keys stated it was the night of the 4th Juno when ho saw. Dpnald au(| :Wcst. Donald .told liim tlicro-liad bcou iio meeting aud gave him back tho keys, v Mr Donald,- said ho was not ; at the Empire on the' night 0 f tho Board meeting, aud it must havo been half past lqno when h c left, the Board's olhcc. Was positive" that young Keys 'never . gave ; l|iiii nny 1 'keys.. Ho s?w Jfpys at tlio /.'Empire a few hights'aiter tlio Boari meeting and had a conversation with ;iiim',.:Tliis was between five and. six." He asked Keys when ho would bo able to lend him and Mr Bock a hand to get out a balanco sheet,. : .-.-vr

•J. Me.L, Glasgow, Government Auditor, deposed that ho lidd recently audited tlio Town' .Board 'books aud found them carelessly koptaud neglected, The cash book had'been written up since October.last. Un to end of financial ..year (30th March) all monies reported collected had: been paid into the Bank,', but continuing"' the audit up to date there was .a.possible discrepitaucyintherafcs|ltp'li's 2d. This was taking sucolitcs' as tho clerk remembered being paid as true; hut by making a fresh demand on tlm ratepayers for. last year's ratcsjjf7ight find no discrepancy. <ken into account £G lGs iu tho office at the time of thci rather, tlio amount £6 8s (id is stated in the miuuto book, ■ '

, G. -R Humphries, builder, deposed that he liyedin in fbe.irluure next to Mrs -4 i Bourn, and thafc on tlib motning of tho 1 live lie was avrakoncd iby lier. Ho and liis matesjvcnt.out. He'saw tlio firo in tho, wall neartlio cliuniicy, ]io and a inau j iiame: Bnmton went' to try and get in tho ? j Board room:, Ho went to:. r try and got something to^burst opetr tho doorwith, < but Bnliiton Jiijd found the door opon, : |l there wnßtob'n)uch' : ' > smok'e't'to got in,;'|l The floor looked charred/:• II James BruhtoriMjavo corroborativo evidence to thatof l Humphries, v sl ■y>'< BockPClerk to-tho Iload Board, fl ddposed as to' his leaving tho-ofßco noxt|B to that of tho Town Board, and as to liisfl I 1?' Ipaviug-'&riy inflamtfialilc matter infl Ills office? his ofllcc at 3 p.ra,;M on .sanie day' as mooting;« recalled saidfH that .slifc ;opeilbd ; -tlpteoard room on; tno' day ; of;tM]nccting, and left ifl open; a ing that.iiiglit. jMe heard some ono out,?' tlio ol&co is oi^| : ttefifidenco, andaftf^H tt brief '.cdnsultatiti'ni jtlid' ]uiy asked rf remand tiU-Mohaay next at 10.30 winch was granted,^' V Vj.!< llifJJ arapa tie present