INGRATITUDE CHARGED

Evening Star, Issue 25300, 7 October 1944, Page 8

INGRATITUDE CHARGED

WOOLLEN MILL OWNERS AND MANPOWER AUTHORITIES (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 6. The New Zealand Woollen Mill Owners' Association, at a general meeting, passed the following resolution:—" This meeting views with grave apprehension the operation of the industrial man-power regulations, which are causing a general lowering of efficiency, and asks for an immediate revision of the regulations and of the methods of administration, particularly concerning industrial man-power appeal committes, whose functions should be exercised by a completely

impartial authority." " I can only say that the resolution of the Woollen Mill Owners' Association savours of very little grace, coming from an industry so much indebted to this department, so dependent upon man-power control and withal so uncompromising in its refusal to co-eper-ate. I am rather surprised at such a view being expressed by aa industry which owes at least as much as any other to the very control measures complained of," states Mr H. L. Bocketj;, controller of man power, commenting to-day on the above resolution. Mr Bockett said the owners well knew that because of the relatively low wages prevailing in the industry, the competition of other industries, particularly for female labour, would have reduced them to an impossible position but for the very substantial help they had derived from the man-power control. Not only had their staffs been reasonably held together against the strong attractions of other industries, but those - staffs had been built up and maintained by the direction of considerable numbers of workers.

The majority of these directions into the woollen mills, Mr Bockett added, involved reductions of wages, which the department had . made good through financial assistance, the amount paid in respect of the .woollen mills being greater than for any other industry. The owners appeared to have overlooked the fact that but for man-power control they' could not have maintained even the barest minimum of staff without paying the bill which the department was paying for them. The industry was, moreover, the only one which had refused to co-operate with the department, Mr Bockett concluded. Although 23 industries had set up man-power utilisation councils and committees representative "of the industries concerned, the woollen mill owners, when asked to give similar cooperation, had flatly refused. Theirs was the only industry which had refused such an invitation^