THE FLAXMILLING DEADLOCK.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3833, 18 August 1928, Page 2

THE FLAXMILLING DEADLOCK.

N.Z. FLAXMILLERS’ ASSOCIATION DISCUSSES SITUATION. PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF LABOUR WILL CONFER. WITH BOTH PARTIES. A special general meeting of the N.Z. Flaxmillers’ Association was held at Foxton yesterday afternoon, presided over by Mr. C. 11. Speirs (president). There were also present : Messrs J. S. Moir, W. Nye, H. Seifert, 11. A. Seifert, Brown, Win. Ross, IT. Berry, F. W. Wilson, Alf. Fraser, Harper, G. Rough, and E. Sutton. At a previous meeting of the association the president was authorised to confer with the secretary of the Flaxmills Employees’ Union with the object of arriving at a basis of agreement to be submitted to both parties. The president placed before the meeting details of the interview with the Secretary of the Flaxmills Employees' Union but stated that he had failed to arrive at any basis for further negotiations with the Union. LETTER FROM PRIME MINISTER. The following letter was received from the Prime Minister (Hon. J. G. Coates) and placed before (he meeting: — “I have recently been giving anxious consideration to the unfortunate position that has arisen in connection with the llaxmilling industry in the Manawatu district, and I understand that negotiations on the subject of the minimum wage that can fairly be borne by the industry in (lie present condition of the world’s markets have not yet reached a successful conclusion. In the circumstances and in view of the importance of the industry not only to the workers and employers more particularly concerned but to the country as a whole I have, in consultation with the Hon. the Minister of Labour, decided to offer the services of the Minister and myself in order to endeavour to arrive at an agreement. I suggest therefore that three representative employers concerned in the dispute might be. selected by your organization to meet a similar number of representative workers together with the Minister and myself in my office at Wellington at, say 10.30 a.m. on the 29th of this month, and I should be greatly obliged if you could make it convenient to arrange accordingly. I should be glad to' know at your early convenience whether this proposal meets with the approval of (lie employers concerned and if so if you would advise me of the names of the delegates proposed.” MILLERS WILL ABIDE BY DECISION. It was resolved that a committee consisting of the president and Messrs Moir and Berry meet the Prime Minister and Minister of Labour on the date mentioned in the letter, and that any decision arrived at by the conference be accepted by the Association. From an informal discussion following the general business of the meeting it was evident that the outlook for the industry is exceedingly unfavourable. UNION APPROVES OF CONFERENCE. In conversation with Mr P. T.Rob< inson, secretary of the Flaxmills Employees’ Union, this morning, we were informed that the Union is agreeable to the conference and that the President (Mr. S. Anderson) and himself with one other delegate to be appointed at a meeting to be held next week will represent the union.