APPRECIATIVE EMPLOYEES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20137, 24 December 1928, Page 12

APPRECIATIVE EMPLOYEES.

COLONIAL SUGAR COMPANY. FUNCTION AT BIRKENHEAD. Acknowledgment of the consideration shown by the directors for their comfort and welfare during Hie period of their working years and also in retiiornent was made at a Yuletide gathering in the Foresters' Hall. Birkenhead, on Saturday evening. of employees with a minimum of a quarter-cent urv's continuous service at the Chelsea refinery of the Colonial Sugar Refining ('ompany. Mr. J. R. MePhail. who presided, said there wore 29 bauds at Ihe Chelsea works whose service ranged from 25 to 46 years, and of these 25 were present. The Chelsea refinery turned out 30 tons of sugai a day when it slatted, while now the output was ,30 toils an hour. In proposing the toast of ••'['lie Colonial Sugar Refining Company." Mr. A Hailfield, deputy-mayor of Birkenhead, said ibe employment of a large number of men at Chelsea nail materially assisted in the development of Birkenhead. Homes had been made in tho borough by many of the workmen, and so permanent, residents had been secured. The company had been of distinct advantage to the borough in other ways. To his own knowledge, for the past 16 years, the company had always forwarded a cheque for its rates as soon as the rate demand was received Tho prompt payment of this substantial sum each year was gr-*atlv appreciated by the council, as this helped considerably in the financing of the borough. When tho council wanted a loan a few years ago to complete necessary works and were experiencing difficulty bocause of the, high interest rates ruling, precluding the borrowing in the ordinary channels, the position was relieved by the Sugar Company granting a loan at. a rate of interest considerably below that ruling at tile time That was evidence that at heart tins company was all right. (Hear. Ilear. I On reflection, the employees would be perfei-l lv satisfied that thev v. err working for just as good a concern as any in New Zealand. (Applause.) Some people had adopted profiteering, but tho directors of the Sugar Company had so far not shown that (heir education had extended to that art. (Laughter.) The housing scheme, under which the employees acquired their own homes under most favourable terms, was not. only the finest in (he Dominion, but also, he believed, in ilie world. "Wo are rapidly acquiring our own hollies at Birkenhead and Nortlu-ote," Mr. Hadfield continued. "Tho surroundings for bringing up our children arc second to none anywhere; and, all things taken into consideration, we can congratulate ourselves that we are employees of tlio Colonial Sugar Refining Company." Mr. Hadfield then referred to the Provident Fund, which ensured to old employees adequate superannuation after retirement, and so enabled them to eniov the evening of their lives in comfort and free from financial worry. "The company is doing its best to ensure our lives being made pleasant in old ago, ho concluded, amid applause. Replying on behalf of the company. Mr. J. C. Yeoman, the manager at Chelsea, said the conditions at the factory were, ideal, and he know of no other factory where the men wore so well catered for. I hese conditions could surely hardly be unproved upon in the model workshops planned by Mr. Henry Ford. The gathering was unique in his 23 years' experience in the service of the company: he had never heard of a similar one before. It reminded him of a silver wedding where two parties had grown aceustomed lo growl and put up with each other; but, by the exercise of give-and-take. had reached the 25th anniversary of their partnership without recourse to the Divorce t ourt. (Laughter.} Ho had been with them for only three years and they had Mr. A. Campbell before him for five years; but it said a lot for Mr. E. V. Miller, who had preceded them as manager for a period of 18 years, that all those men had remained with tho company so long. (Applause.) \ artous other toasts were honoured.