FISHING DISPUTE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 31 December 1938, Page 8

FISHING DISPUTE

CONFERENCE TO BE HELD SOON ; •IJn.led PrH«* Ana.-rlailoo 1 ! INVERCARGILL. 29th December : In an effort to end the present fish- j ing hold-up in Southland waters, a j conference is to be held next month ■ between representatives of the Fisher- j \ men’s Union and the merchants. This ; announcement was made by the secre- j tarj of the Stewart Island branch of i the Fishermen’s Union (Mr W. Bailey, sen.) in an interview. Practically all the fishermen at the island were willing to resume fishing immediately. Mr Bailey said, but they could not do so without the authority 1 of the Seamen’s Union, to which the Fishermen’s Union is affiliated. How- j ever, because of the higher costs of! fuel oil, petrol and other necessaries,! it was quite impossible for the men j to earn a reasonable living if they i were to receive only 27s per 1001 b! for their catches. In response to a request which he; had made to the former Minister for Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong)! Mr Bailey said, the Minister had i agreed to extend the period in which the men could be engaged on public works until the end of January. Normally the scheme would end on 24th December, but to enable fishermen to continue working until a settlement could be reached an extension of the period had been sought.