113 APPEALS

Grey River Argus, 27 May 1942, Page 1

113 APPEALS

FOR SAWMILLERS AND MINERS.

HEARD AT GREYMOUTH,

At’ a sitting of the Manpower Committee at Greymouth yesterday, 61 sawmilling appeals and 52 nulling appeals were heard, sine die adjournments subject to transfer to the Home Guard being granted in the majority of cases. The committee was Messrs W. Meldrum (chairman) P. J. McLean. A. J. Panther and C- F. Shapcott (secretary). TIMBER SHORTAGE Timber cut in th’e first four months of 1942 was 3,538,343 feet less than that cut in the corresponding period of 1941, said Mr J. S. Robertson, representing the West Coast Sawmitkers’ Association. The shortage was a result of the shortage of men and inexperienced labour. The Manpower Officer was considering the taking of men from other industries and placing them back in a sawmill if they had had previous experience. This was a strong possibility. However the Association did not want to release any of the men called in the recent ballot. “The position is very serious,” sard Mr F. J. Perham, Conservator of Forests, Hokitika. Mr F. L. Turley said the industry was short of 150 men two months ago, and the position had not improved any. . , , The secretary: The industry is cutting short this year yet defence orders are making, a bigger demand than ever on timber. Mr Perham: Yes. The orders now are all urgent. Mr Robertson said that up to April 30 in 1941 24,858,000 feet of timber was cut while up to April 30, in 1942, only 21,319,000 feet was cut. “The orders this year are cons'derably more than at any time I have been in the industry,” he concluded. . Mr Perham said that private timber yards were out of stock and. mills had been directed not to fulfill private orders. Referring to the alternative Home Guard service, Mr Turley said instructions had practically come from Wellington stating that men working 48 hours a week were exempt from Home Guard service. “That is a matter for the Home Guard,” said the Chairman. Sine die adjournments were granted in the following 'appeals by the West Coast Sawmillers’ Association: Terence Wilfred Constable, slabby, Richard Edward Bell, bushman, Thomas Douglas Hibbs, sawyer, John Leslie Bennett, winchman, Joseph Bissell, tailer-out, Trevor Lewis Higgins, lorry driver, Edward John L. Keogan, trolleyman, George Moyes Lindsay, engine driver, Campbell McPherson Lumsden, rawycr, Robert James McGrath, docker, Leo Robert Palmer, bushman, Charts Leo Penny, fireman. William Hehiy Ryan assistant-breaker-down, James William Bryce, snigger, William E. Duncan, bushman, Clifford .Armstrong, mill hand, George William Gibson, breaker-down, Ernest James Burr, fiddler, Henry John Buchanan bushman, John Joseph Devoriport yardman, John Joseph Nolan, bushman, Adrian Vernon McEwen, breakerdown, Colin Campbell Bell sawyer, William Herbert Scott, Robert H. J. Beams, Arthur Thomas, bushmen, Thomas Bertrand Dowling tractormah, John Joseph Prendergast sawyer, Stanley Henry Coox, Stanley Slott bushman, Alfred Moreton, benchman and carriageman, William Rex Fairhall, snigger, Robert Arthur Black fiddler, John Daniel Bryan sawmill hand, James Henderson Jamieson mill hand, Herman William Wilson bushman, Francis Graham snigger, John Joseph Murphy tailer-out, Hubert Leslie Mitchell general hand, Frank William John Munden breakerdown, Henry James Lindbom yardman, Thomas Gaines bushman, Leslie Gordon Mason bushman, William Wallace tail-er-out, Joseph Redmond O’Brien mill hand. John Thomas ’Spargo yardman, Noel Nigel Hughes mill, hand, Frank Holling general hand, Reginald T. Birchfield head yardman, William Weare sawyer. Harne Neil breaker-down, John William Hyndman, Henry Joseph Rochford winchman, David Laurence Scott yardman, Gordon F. Barrow mill manager. Panaroa Coal Co. Ltd., appealed for Stanley Mereton Cuff, contract timber-cutter, the appeal being dismissed.

An appeal for Frank Griffin was made by the Director of National Service. It was decided to release Griffin from camp for two months for review.

An appeal by R. M. Hig#hs and Co. for Gerald Edward Carr, tailerout, was adjourned pending recruit’s medical examination.

An appeal bv the Sawmilling Association for Charles Shearer Black, slabby, was adjourned for a month • with a view to seeing if recruit returned to his work as ordered by the (Manpower Officer. Appeals for Ronald James Coleman bushman, Clifford Boyd Ogilvie, stacker, Patrick Henry Pugh, mil! hand, were held over. MINING APPEALS. Except where otherwise stated, the following mining appeals were adjourned sine die:— The New Point Co-operative Party for William Ferguson Weir,' miner,\ Kaye and Party for Adam Eoote,' miner: Grey Valiev Collieries, Ltd., for Donald James Williams, trucker; Robert Leaker, miner; Richard Halley Robson, engine-driver; Charles Bateman, miner; and Henry Mitchell Goodisson, trucker. Blackball State Mine, for William Hayes, miner; Archibald John Ross, mine fitter; John Thomas Scully, mine electrician; and Edward Patterson, mine deputy. John David Weir, bushman,- cutting mining timber, was appealed for by the Blackball State Mine, and Weir also appealed personally for time to settle his business affairs.—The State Mine appeal was adjourned sine die, and the personal appeal was withdrawn. State Coal Mines, for John McDonald Guy, engine-driver; Edwin James Barron, trucker, on review: Eric Reynolds, trucker, on review; William Patrick Toker, miner, on review; Patrick Jamieson, apprentice blacksmith, on review; James A. Medlin, collier; Gerald Leech, shotfirer; Kelvin Richard Leech, roperoad u worker; Stanley Robert Eyeington, collier; Joseph James Devine, rope splicer; Hector Charles Gibson, shiftman; Alexander Ernst trucker; Alfred Augustus Hildebrand, leading fitter; Braithwaite Marley, collier; Walter Plattinson, collier; Maxwell Kenneth Smith, trucker; Walter Albert Speer, col- ' Her; Robert Ernest Wainman, collier; William Goodwin Watsop,

trucker; William Francis Daizell, collier; William Jenkins Airns, collier; Colin Cochrane, trucker; Wallace Saunders Butcher, trucker; Charles Wright, collier; George Eric Allan, blacksmith; James George Matthew Purnell, collier; Percy Allan Williams, trucker. State Coal Mines, for Robert Gwilym Roberts, winchman, volunteer for Air Force.—Adjourned for two months.

State Ccal Mines, for Henry John Lynch, collier.—Adjourned to next sitting, for evidence of Lynch, it being stated that his attendance at work was not satisfactory. Brunner Collieries, Ltd., application for release of Roland Fleming from camp, owing to shortage if workers. —Release recommended. Brunner Collieries, Ltd., for Nisbet Boyce Mackie, miner; John Taylor Rutter, trucker; Alan Raid, roperoad worker; John David P.j*s, trucker; William Burnett, miner; Battista Caldana, shiftman; and Mathew’ Hall, miner. Brunner Collieries, Ltd., for Donal Gair McCrae, trucker.—Adjourned to next sitting, to give McCrae an opportunity of giving evidence. The mine manager (Mr F. E. Lockington) said that, in the period from June, 1940, to May. 1942, McCrae was absent on 81 days, only 31 of which could be accounted for on Union or other bona fide reasons. His absence on the remaining 50 days had not been explained.