CHEESE COMPANY DELEGATES CONFER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 229, 20 June 1908, Page 3

CHEESE COMPANY DELEGATES CONFER.

MEETING AT CARTERTON. • LABOUR MATTERS DISCUSSED. A meeting of delegates fromtho'Wairarapa andßush districts cheese companies was .held in Carterton yesterday (writes our Wairarapa correspondent), to consider the steps to be ta,ken _in connection .with tho .rccent recommendations made ;by tho Conciliation Board regarding tho demands of the Wellington Biltter and Cheese Workers' Union. , .•.'.-Mr.vjW.'.; Fisher (Taratahi) presided, and 'there, were'.'also present ,Mossrs. T. ,B. Mason (Nireaha), W. Elliott arid F. Wise (Rongokokako),.J. Hodge,. (Greytown), W. Fuge . (f'eatherston), C. Lorenzen and J. Moncrieff (Parkvale),' A. Knutson (Dalefiqld), G. . Stevens (Belvedere), J. Brown (Taratahi). . ThoTeport of the meeting hold in Palmereton North,' in October;' detailing the wages ' list agreed upon by the conference was read in committee, as was a p.iper recording various suggestions regarding a wages 'list' . ) ,by Mr. M. T. West, manager of the Dalelield •Dairy Company. . A Protest, Mr. F. .Wise (Taratahi) took exception to .tho fact, that this information had not been .disseminated) earlier, among the . delegates/ The conference had been held seven months ago, and yet nobody knew what had beori done. Several meetings should havo been held, and tho delay which had taken place was altogether unreasonable.'. Tho speaker represented a smftil factory, arid under tho , recomxrieridations of ■ tho Conciliation Board it was the small factories which were, fighting .for 'their, existeriEfe. If the,recommendation .word ;decided upon, it would practically-mean that somo of the smaller factories ,would bo closed';down. It' appeared that the. Association was not' doing its duty, and, his company had . felt .so . deeply on/the subject that he had .'been' sent down to, Mr. •Harkness (the secretary).in-order to asoertain how matters stood.;; Ho was informed ;that the Arbitration Court would sit some time in August, and ho thought therefore that the Association , should take steps', to' prepare its case., It would take . some time to do so, and as matters stood now, tho workers appeared to him to have the best of it. .He had no doubt' that this present dispute,.was 'tho work'.of agitators. Tho WairaTapa and Bush districts cheese, factory • assistants did not want a ■union, but ho, was of opinion. that the \'fac- ■ tones, concerned should form a ,separate in-' : dustrial district. Ho did not think there would; over, be jan understanding . with the Palmerstpn North people. -.In conclusion', Mr. . Wiso. thought that through tho delay in • calling the meeting, tho Association would not be able;to work up a good case. The Chairman said ho thought he had better tako the, blame over the report of the

October meeting not being circulated, but he really thought that this had already been d° De .- Regarding Mr. Wise's suggestion" that the district should be separated, Mr. Fisher did not think it would be .productive of any gam._ The larger the district the better. TOo TaranakT employers, were sorry now that they had not come in with the 'Wellington . provincial employers.. Attempts . had been made to come to an understanding with thb .Union employees, but without success, principally owing to the fact that the employees , would recognise the employers' contention that factories should be classified. The speaker, corroborated Mr. Wise's opinion that the present industrial trouble was caused by an agitator, who was simply travelling rouncl the stirring up discontent. It would be a good idea to ask farmers to give evidence in the Arbitratibn Court over,the forthcoming case.. It : affected, farmers greatly, especially when one considered the fact that there was a possibility of tho closing: of the smaller, factories. .-So far, as. he was con- ■ cerned, ho did not.think the employees' union • had a very good case.: *'• -.Mr.._A: Enutson (Dalefield) said ho did not think they had the slightest chance. '' After some further discussion, it was reBolved-,. on the motion of Mr. F Wise " Mlv •<*•' Stevens; that the National Dairy Association be asked to .try and. arrango a meeting of the cheese factory representatives at Palinerstori North on Tues- : day next, so that steps might be taken to prepare a case for the employers^