LABOUR'S DEMANDS.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 1914, 7 September 1921, Page 5

LABOUR'S DEMANDS.

"FREEZING COMPANIES MUST RESIST . . OR PACE RUINATION." HIGH COSTS ABSORB VALUES. In addressing the annual meeting of shareholders of the Feilding Farmers' Freezing Co., Ltd., at the company's annual meeting yesterday, Mr Hugh Burrell, chairman or directors, spoke in no uncertain strain on the effect that labour conditions, and other matters, were buvyig on the export meattrade. He said that the cost of preparing and marketing our primary products was, without doubt, the most serious problem before the primary producers of to-day. Present costs simply meant bankruptcy for the farmers; and bankruptcy for the farmers meant bankruptcy for the Government. Dealing first with, meat, and putting the position as it was last season, Ml Burrcll said the labour cost to draft, drove, kill, handle, and freeze the meat was over jjd per lb. Railage had increased from .1701 d to .25d per lb. Loading and tallying costs, freight, 1.983 7d, to which had to be added overhead expenses, which included salaries, interest, stamps, telegrams, general expenses, etc., making tho cost of handling and marketing meat no less than 4d per lb c.i.f.e. To sell ex store, London, would cost another Id, making tho total charges 'lid per lb. What prospect, he asked, had the farmer of surviving under this tremendous burden? A pelt which to-day was worth 2/10, cost no less than 1/3A to prepare and market, whilst tallow valued at £3l per ton cost £25 to market, notwithstanding the £1 12/G per ton reduction in freight. Wool, the value of which we did not know, cost <j}d to prepare and market. The Feilding Company had received a cable the previous day to the effect that 197 bales of wool ex Athenic had averaged fHd per lb. Thus, it cost the company bid to obtain 9". d, making slipo wool only worth 3d per lb on the sheep's and lambs' back. In face of this, .they were in receipt of demands from the freezing workers for an increase of roughly 33 1-3 per cent over tho rates paid in 1917. The minimum rate of pay demanded by unskilled labour was 2/6 per hour, slaughtermen 45/- per 100 sheop and lambs, whilst greasers and firemen were demanding 24/- per shift of eight hours or part thereof.

"Something must be done, and that quickly," 1 said Mr Burrell, "for we have no guarantee that the Arbitration Court will not grant these mands. In my opinion the useful days of the Arbitration Court are past, and the whole Act, with its extravagant and costly administration, should be abolished. Supposing the Arbitration Court should grant the Freezing Workers' Union their demands, and we find the industry cannot pay, there is then no question of the workers accepting less money rather than be out of employment. This would, however, be a breach of the award, and would subject both employer and employee tibj severe penalties. There would be nothing for it but to shut down the ini dustry." Referring again to the question of costs, Mr Burrell said that prices in England were not by any means bad for our products, but taking the costs he had mentioned into consideration, there was nothing left for the producer. The valuo of the product was swallowed up in expenses. "RESIST THE DEMANDS." "I sco nothing for it but for the freezing companies to resist these exorbitant demands to the utmost ability," continued the speaker, "and in the event of tho men refusing to operate tho works, as happened last year,, the farmers must be definitely prepared to operate the works themselves or face ruination. There is no alternative; it is one thing or the other, and it is for you, gentlemen, to decide which it shall bo."