LIVING QUARTERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 157, 6 July 1939, Page 20

LIVING QUARTERS.

DAIRY FACTORY WORKERS. DISCUSSION IN CONCILIATION. (From Oar Own Correspondent.) WELINGTON, Wednesday. The problem of providing living quarters for employees at factories in the country was debated during the discussion of the dairy dispute in conciliation council in Wellington. - Mr. J. Roberts, agent for the union, asked the employers if they would be prepared to supply the necessary land free of charge and request the Government to build accommodation for workers at the factories, the workers to pay the rent to the Government. Mr. G. R. Herron (Invereargill) said the dairy factory companies in the Southland district had already put up such a proposal to the Government, but it had not been accepted. A representative of a North Island company said that his company had asked the Government to acquire land and erect homes for the factory workers, hut the Under-Seeretary. Mr. J. A. Lee. had said he would not erect workers' homes there, as he wanted the workers to enjoy the comforts of the city. Mr. C. Gough, secretary of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Dairy Factory Workers' Union, said there were many dairy factory workers who were travelling five and six miles to work every morning. The dairy company in Shannon had offered the Government land free of charge for the erection of homes for their employees, but Mr. Lee had preferred to buy land there far workers' dwellings.

It was pointed out that some factory com panics had erected living accommodation for their workers, but the men had preferred to reside in the town and the buildings had been left empty. Mr. Roberts said that if the employers erected accommodation the employee* should be compelled to use it, but there should be some tribunal to fix a fair rent. Mr. T. 0. Bishop, agent for the employers, said they could not bind dairy companies to go in for large capital expenditure for the erection of homes for their employees.