Which First ?

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 307, 16 December 1940, Page 6

Which First ?

Butter Boxes or Territorial Camp

MAKERS APPEAL FOR EMPLOYEES

Something about the production of butter boxes, which are in short supply at the present time, was heard at a meeting of the No. 6a Manpower Committee on Saturday when Wm. Cook and Sons, Ltd., appealed on behalf of several employees.

Mr. L. Laurcnson, who appeared for the firm, said the appeals were on the ground of public interest. The Committee, he understood, had received a letter from the Director of Forestry setting out the extra work the company had to do on account of the war. The company was working a great deal of overtime and instead of 40 hours a week, the factory was running 64 hours on the essential work of making butter boxes. a large number of the company had enlisted for overseas service. Twenty were either overseas or had been turned down unfit. In addition 15 had been called up and of those men, appeals had been lodged iu respect of nine considered essential to the industry. All that the company asked was a postponement of service until the end of March when the work usually slackened off.

The chairman, Mr. T. L. Seddon, said the Committee had inspected the factory and the information gained would be helpful. Ronald Frederick Kendall said he had been for six years at the factory and he was a cleater operator. He had been working 56 hours a week for the last month. He was quite willing to go to camp but it would take weeks for a new man to learn the job he was on. Wm. Louis Kay said he was also a cleater, having' been on that work for 18 months. There were three cleating machines in the factory and if he and Kendall went away to camp at the same time the output of the factory would be seriously handicapped. He had averaged 16 to 20 hours’ overtime a week. Ivan Rathbone Oliver said he had been at the factory for two years and his jo'b was invoising, checking of statements and general work. It was w r ork that could only be performed efficiently by experience. His duties had increased substantially in the last few months.

Wm. Wallace Cook, managing director of the company, produced returns showing the number of the firm’s employees who had enlisted, the number of skilled and unskilled workmen, and the amount of overtime paid the employees so far drawn in ballots. In addition to butter boxes, the requirements for which had been doubled on last year, the firm had other army contracts. The labour market was exceedingly difficult even with unskilled labour aud it would bo impossible to obtain twelve reasonably satisfactory men in any one week now. With senn skilled and skilled workmen the task of replacement was hopeless. In the particular position the industry was now in the skilled men were essential. If by readjustment a less skilled man was put on to a machine, then the work of all behind him in the chain was slowed down and the output fell. In reality his appeals were for a chain of efficient men so that the output of butter boxes would not be affected. Further evidence of a confidential nature was taken by the Committee in private, after which it was announced that the appeals would be adjourned till March and that the reasons for the decision would be given in writing later.