CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 13 October 1922, Page 8

CORRESPONDENCE.

CHEESE WORKERS

■"' • . (To the Editor.) ! Sir, —On reading the article in the jorrespondenee column re cheese factory workers' conditions I should ike to draw "Ex-factory Hand's ', attention to a few of ihe facts he has overlooked, and which are to be found in. everyday work in a cheese factory >f the present day. We will not take the largest of the cheese factories as examples, but the smaller,ones from five vats down, which I think are in the majority. In the good old days, while the cheese worker was pushing his curd rake up and down the vat for a couple of hours, the hardest part was keeping awake, which denotes strenuous toil, but to-day part of the time is occupied in washing the pasteuriser and cooler, which if done properly takes more than half an hour. Then, again, what about those separators to -be assembled ready for the whey, and how much time does it take extra to pack cheese with the scale boards in the crate? It sounds very little,' but lime is spent on it. Then, again, a steady head of steam must be kept up to keep the wheels going round, the separators must be watched, and the washing of the whey plant is more than likely done by the cheese worker,, this part falling due at the busiest part of the day, milling time, hence the stunt of turning curd for five minutes and spelling for ten minutes seems a bit too good to'be true. "Ex-factory Hand" would be surprised how much hand stirring is to be done when drying even nowadays, and why quote the racks when they 'are things of the past, as the article written is on factory conditions to-day? I may state if "Ex-factory Hand" could work in a factory to-day, turning curd for five minutes and spelling ten minutes, then his mates would be pushing a piece of his broom, dressing a few of his hoops, cleaning a part of the engine, and doing a dozen other things which have to be done if one only cafes to look around and help to do the work thoroughly. As regards the 3 o'clock stunt] we know it happens, but 4.30 p.m. is pretty handy to the average finish, which means everything has had a fair spin in the day's work. Now, from 6 a.m. until 4.30 p.m., with half an hour for breakfast and half an hour I for dinner, is a long enough day for any working man, even should he have a "smoko" during this time. Pulling up presses after this is a matter of course. ; It surprises me to know that the factory worker is better, off .than the,average "cockie." If this 'ia the case, why remain a when one can better himself in f cheesefactory ? , How many ' 'cockies'' give up dairying to work in a cheesefactory? As for suggesting to writers to give up the hardships is not the point. The point is, we don't make 'a fuss, and have no stop-work meetings; but all we would like is a fair and square" deal all round. How; did the cheese-makers find positions when they returned from active seryide? There \tfere some I know who'^ere managers before they enlisted and? owing to the supposed lack of experience for, a few years we're forced to begin as casuals again. Still, they did not complain. In comparing pick-and-shdvel work, gorse-grubbing, etc., to cheese-making is away from the "mam point, as ia man ,to be a success at cheese-making must be alert of mind an*! have a fairly good knowledge of t machinery and repair work, while in the former case a little knowledge and plenty ( of brawn is all that is neces■sary. ■ ■ . ' ■ - -^ "Ex-Factory Hand" is mistaken when ho gives the impression that jthere _is no cheese to be turned in,, the 'majority of factories, as I can assure you that most factories have their own curing room. I myself have turned 400 cheese before breakfast, but looked upon this as , an-appetiser. He 'must also remember that in most cases when a man has a day off his work is done between hfe work-mates. Hence he eventually works' his day's toil when ins _mates are off. , Sir, I merely write these, few. facts to prove to "Ex-Factory Hand" that , there are lots of things one is apt to overlook unless constantly at this particular work, and to remind him that time has brought us many changes and that even farming conditions are improving and have done so since the days of the pioneer. So why compare cheese-making' of the past with cheese-making of to-day?—l "am, etc., f CHEESE-MAKER OF TO-DAY. [We cannot for the present afford further space to correspondence on this matter, which has been well ventilated.] ~ . :