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Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2015, 26 February 1907, Page 2

The Kaiteratahi school picnic and social is to be held on March 7. An ordinary meeting of the Borough Council will be held to-niglit. The weekly stock sale will bo held at Matawliero on Thursday next. The Murewai Racing Club holds a race meeting at Murewai on Easter Monday.

The quarterly meeting of the Turanganui Lodge of Druids will be held on Thursday night. Tho AVliataupoko traffic bridge will bo closed at 11 to-night and also on Wednesday and Thursday nights. A report has been received that a racehorse and two draught horses belonging to natives have been stabbed at Te Arai. Two of the horses died. The members of tho Tai Rawlliti I,and Board, Colonel Porter and Air. A. Keefer, have returned from AA 7airoa. The Native Land Court’ Judges proceeded from AA’airoa via Napier. Air. Barton, S.AI., granted nine old age pensions yesterday afternoon. One application for renewal was adjourned till March 25, pending enquiry as tb whether the applicant had fulfilled the conditions attached to such pensions. All- AA'. Lissant Clayton, estate agent, offers for sale by- tender a well-fenced section of 4j acres, with frontage to Gladstone road, also a 4-acre section, with river and road frontage; a four-roomed house and two acres of splendid orchard . In a letter appearing y-csterday from Air Herbert Ingram some emendations are needed. In the phrase “have a class” the words intended were “leave a class,” and in tho first quotation from Air Alorgan’s reply a line was omitted, thus giving the quotation incomplete.

Tlie annual meeting of the Harbor Board will be held to-day, when the election of the Chairman will take place. Among the important business on the order paper is the consideration of the outer harbor report and tho tariff revision committee’s report. It is probable that a special day will be chosen for dealing with the outer harbor report, but on the other hand it is held that as a majority favor such a scheme being placed before the ratepayers, action should not he unnecessarily delayed- “ Not a dull moment” is the motto of the management of Edison’s American Picture Show, and Mr Andrews guarantees to refund the money to any patron attending on the first* night who can conscientiously say that the picture show is not the best ever seen in Gisborne. Mr Andrews further states that he can show press clippings from every city and town where he has shown, and without exception the press have said, “The best pictures seen here.” The Wellington and Dunedin papers say—- “ Nothing to equal them has been seen”; and tho Sydney paper, to quote them exact, “Miles ahead of anything yet seen in Sydney.” And in addition to this is little Bessie Sutton, who is pronounced to he the premier child entertainer before the public. She has ajipeared in pantomine in Sydney and with Harry Rickards, and has the distinction of being demanded to appear before her audience 10 times in one _ evening. To miss hearing Little Bessie Sutton is to miss a rare treat.

The following communication has been received by Mr. W. J- P. Gaudin, secretary of the Gisborne Railway League, from Mr. R. R. Hunt, secretary of the Auckland Railway League:—“Replying to your favor of the 13tli inst., I beg to say that ypnr letter will be brought forward at the first meeting of my League, but in the meantime you must give me more definite explanation as to the section of the Gisborne railway line which you want the Government to open. For instance, what distance is the line to Waikohu Bridge from the present terminus at Kanaka, also what stage of completion is the section in, are the rails laid, and the ballast down? Our League is at one with you as to the working surveys of future extensions being put in hand at once, hut we as a League are not pledged to the Rotorua connection, and you know that at the conference hold hero sonic time ago by all the Railway Leagues, they decided that the route desired was Motu to Wailii, not to Rotorua. What this League have been fighting, for is to get the Minister to fulfil his promise by causing a flying survey to be made of the line between Motu and "W ai u before winter sets in. I scn k • vnu . A copy of a telegram sent to the Hon. Mr. Carroll on the 9tli inst., and I hope that you have been moving the Minister in tho same direction.

WORK AND WAGES.

AN EASY-GOING DAY

OPERATIONS SUSPENDED AT GISBORNE FREEZING WORKS.

Tho killing of sheep was resumed as usual at both freezing works yesterday morning, but it was soon evident that tho indications given of the intentions of the men wore to ho fulfilled only too well. The idea seemed to he to kill as few as possible without actually- stopping, and matters wore given quite an appearance of comedy as the men who had boon noted for their expedition leisurely went about their work. “AAHiy you’d think there was an inquest required on each shoo]),” one man jocularly remarked, and liioro than one last night declared that he had never laughed so much before. Others, however, did not find any room for mirth in tho situation, particularly as so many besides the slaughtermen are affected. It was clear that the pace of two sliccp an hour, instead of tho usual eight or ten, could not he allowed to continue lor long, for no one was deceived as to what it meant—that it was a “strike” of a now order. At tho Gisborne works the butchers were informed that the killing must bo carried on at the ordinary rate of speed ; otherwise it would bo better to cease work altogether, and at half-past 12 the butchers knocked off work. The following letter was sent by the manager of the Company, Air Cederwall, to Mr Jackson, the secretary for the slaughtermen:-—“Dear Sir,- —The slaughtermen having declined to avail thomoselves of tho company’s offer to re-open negotiations for conciliation, and having refused for tho whole morning to work except at the rate of two sheep per hour, further killing is suspended on the ground that such an arrangement among the butchers is an illegal combination, and is taken with the intention of defeating tho provisions of the existing award and of forcing ail increased rate of wages. Tho men arc at liberty- at any time to intimate to tho manager -n charge of the works that they are prepared to resume normal work.” The stoppage of slaughtering necessarily required the suspension of other kindred work, and it is estimated that independent of the butchers about one hundred hands (including lads) will be affected.

At the Tarulieru works matters went on at a snail’s pace all day, and when word was received as to what had occurred at the Gisborne works there was an air of expectancy- as to how long “this farce,” as it’ was frequently- termed, was to continue. But the “work” went drearily on, the management awaiting instructions from headquarters before interfering in any way-. On work ceasing for the day- the order for starting this morning was given as usual, and the same kind of proceedings are anticipated until intervention of somo kind brings about a climax. Section 109 of the Act to which a good deal of attention has been given is as follows:—“If during the currency of an award an employer, worker, industrial union, or association, or any combination of either, employer of worker, has taken proceedings with intention to defeat any of the provisions of the award', such employer, workers’ union, association or combination, and every member thereof respectively, shall be deemed to have committed a breach of the award, and shall be liable accordingly.” Tho letter sent to the men on Saturday- (and to which no reply was deemed necessary-, the men having decided on their course of action) was as follows:

“Mr Thomas Jackson, slaughterman, ICaiti. Dear Sir, —I have put your two letters of the 22nd inst. before the Board of Directors, together with my intermediate letter of the same date. The Board recognises that the men are well within their rights in asking any time for a variance in the rates of pay and of the conditions under which they work in the factory, and is quite willing at any time to confer with the men upon any proposal for readjustment which is made in ordinary course upon a pending application to the Court. The Directors in no way wish to take advantage of the long delay of the Court to sit at Gisborne, which they regret as much as do the men. At the same time, the directors must, know whether they arc to act together with the men, subject to the control of the Court, or independently of the Court. It is impossible for the relations between the employer and employees to be carried on from day to day unless this is settled. If, as slaughtermen, your friends adhere to the application which is now waiting the Court, and wish a further negotiation for agreement, which might ho submitted to the Court for its approval, the Company has no objection. On the other hand, as long as the Union exists the directors are unable to agree to any variance of an existing award on the application of any section of the employees hound, who refuse to make such application through the Union to which they belong.—Yours faithfully, for the Gisborne Slieopfarmers’ Frozen Meat Co., Ltd., W. F. Cederwall.”

THE POSITION ELSEWHERE. Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, yesterday. Work is going on in all Canterbury freezing works except Pareora, where the men are still out. As the result of a meeting held on Saturday, four men signed a letter to the companies making a certain demand. The letter was written after the union officials had been asked to retire from the meeting. The directors of the companies considered the letter this morning, and a conference of representatives of both companies decided it was impossible to treat with individuals, but they would only deal with the union. It was further decided to meet the union at any time in any way they could. They would lie willing to make some arrangement before the Arbitration Court sits, and if overtures in that direction fail, would go to the Court and abide by its award. In accordance with this agreement, the Canterbury Company refused to deal further with the Pareora men, stating that all negotiations must bo with the union’s representative. The managers of the companies sent a letter to the union, asking if the union would order the men at Pareora to resume work, and declining to accept the union secretaries’ letter disclaiming responsibility unless it was officially signed. Mr Waymoutli, manager cf the Christchurch Meat Company, sent a letter to the secretary of the Slaughtermen’s Union, advising that the company was willing to confer with officers and delegates to discuss proposals for a fresh agreement for speedy submission to the Arbitration Court, and would undertake that the rates of pay aranged in the final agreement should be retrospective to the present date. It is understood another meeting of slaughtermen was held last night, at which it was practically decided not to strike. It i» now thought there will not be a general strike of butchers. The report here to-day is that the Canterbury Company offered the Pareroa men 23s per 100, which would be a compromise between the present rate and the. men’s demands, but in view of the company’s decision to deal only with tlic union, the rumor is discredited. WANGANUI, yesterday.

Rumors of trouble among the killers at the Wanganui' freezing works are without foundation. At the time of the Wclington dispute the manager informed the men that the Cdm-

puny woidd pay wages fixed as the outcome of the Wellington dispute. The offer was acopted, and work has gone on without interruption. There scorns no reason to fear a strike. 1 CHRISTCHURCH, last night. All hands this morning at seven o’clock turned up at the Islington works with the exception of a contingent which came from Christchurch by tlie first train, starting at eight. Ail the slaughtermen are at work save a few who are sick and ono delegate from yesterday’s mooting. The manager has little or no information as to the negotiations, and the men are extremely reticent. Everything at the works appears to ! ho going on precisely as usual, and if ! the slaughtermen knock off this afternoon they will do so without warning. Consignments of sheep u'ere refused on Saturday and only small lots have been received to-day, and probably the slaughtermen will he . unable to start to-morrow morning 1 at the regular hour. The works have been putting through up to the present about 6000 sheep and lambs a , day. Sixty-nine slaughtermen are employed and about two-thirds of these are Canterbury men. A number of the others arc Australians who come over here every season, and are , thus regarded almost as regular hands. Altogether, the employees at tho works number some 550, and if the slaughtermen should cease work for a period, all these would he j thrown idle within a few days. The , men resumed work after dinner just , the same as usual, and continued through tho afternoon, and at the : end of the day they had nearly killed , out what stock was on hand. At the Belfast works also there was no cos- ! sat ion of killing operations during j the day. AYliat will happen at the , works to-morrow will depend upon ‘ tho result of the meeting of slaughtermen to ho held this evening. AUCKLAND, hist night.

The Auckland slaughtermen have formed a union and will make demands in certain directions, including, it is stated, increased wages for certain work and improved conditions. It is understood, however, that there is little likelihood of a strike.

TIMARU, last night.

There is no alteration in the situation at Pareora freezing works. Mr Waymouth, managing director, who was here to-day, states that no negotiations will he entered into with anybody but union officials. No offer has been made as reported in Christchurch, to the Pareora men.

The Smithfiold men had a meeting this morning, and by a large majority resolved to continue working. A few men knocked off without saying whether it was for a day or for good.

THE ARITRATION COURT. CHRISTCHURCH, last night,

Mr Justice Sim, president of the Arbitration Court, arrived in Christchurch on Sunday. The members of the Court will proceed to Timaru by the midday express to-morrow, and will sit at 4 p.m. to deal with the situation at Pareora.

A CONFERENCE. CHRISTCHURCH, last night. A conference between the slaughtermen at the Islington freezing works and tlie Belfast works was held at tho Trades Hall, Christchurch, tonight. A prolonged discussion took place on the question as to whether the men should cease, now or not. The proceedings, however, were not open to the press, and the result of the conference if any could not he ascertained definitely. It is understood, however, that the meeting was by no means an orderly one, and that no definite conclusions were arrived at.