HOROTIU IDLE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22627, 15 January 1937, Page 10

HOROTIU IDLE

SEQUEL TO GO-SLOW EMPLOYEES ON PREMISES CONCERT IN THE EVENING STATEMENT BY SECRETARY [HY TKLEGRAI'Il —OWN CORKESPONIIENT] HAMILTON, Thursday Following the lead given in Auckland, the employees of the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company at Horotiu decided to-day to stay in the works after they had been paid off. A stopwork meeting was held early this morning to discuss what had occurred in the Auckland area yesterday. It was decided to follow the policy inaugurated at Horotiu yesterday morning of going slow as a protest against the terms ol the existing Arbitration Court award.

The decision was communicated to the manager, Mr. I?. Spiers, who, acting on instructions from his b»ad office in Auckland, informed the men that they would be paid off immediately. The men thereupon decided that if they could not work in their own way they would stay where they were until matters had been adjusted to. their satisfaction. Food and Clothing The meetings and paying process occupied all the morning, and immediately after noon steps were taken to make things as comfortable as possible for the rest of the day and night. The men were permitted to go home to bring food and clothing. A large proportion of them own motor-cars* and live as far away as Hamilton, eight miles distant.

Pickets were stationed at each gate and jjo one was allowed to pass out or in without a permit. Boys under 18 wero allowed to go home.

A committee was appointed to arrange organised games and to maintain order, instructions were issued to the men not to interfere with the machinery and to keep away from those departments where they normally work. Pickets Look Miserable The yiermanent staff engaged in operating the refrigerating plant is being allowed to work unmolested. Two medical students from Otago are spendiiifr their vacation at the works and are experiencing a novel situation. No police action has been taken and no police are at the works. Visitors this evening were challenged by pickets and were not permitted to enter the works. Rain was falling heavily, and the pickets, some of whom had no overcoats, were a picture of misery. One apologetically said he was only doing his duty and then naively admitted that the whole thing was ridiculous.

The rigid picket system was relaxed later this evening for at nine o'clock visitors were able to enter the premises without being challenged. There were no pickets at the two main gates and probably none elsewhere at the side gates some distance away. Several parties of men arrived during the evening with bundles of bedding and made up hunks in the change houses and hutments. The bare boards and benches on which the bedding was laid did not appear to be conducive to comfort. Many Absentees That there were many absentees from the ranks of the. employees and that tlie "stay-in" campaign was not being taken very seriously by the majority of the men was the impression gained by a visitor. The secretary of the union, Mr. E. Heard, stated that a concert had been arranged for this evening and that the men were quite happy about staying the night. He also said that no steps had been taken by either side toward a settlement. He realised the seriousness of the position of the farmers and expressed the hope that a conference representing tho Government, the employers and employees would be held to "discuss the dispute and arrive at a satisfactory settlement. Mr. Heard statod that the behaviour of the men had been excellent.

HAWKE'S BAY WORKS

NO ACTION TAKEN ONLY "MORAL" SUPPORT GIVEN [I)Y TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] HASTINGS, Thursday Inquiries made in Hastings as to the possibility of the trouble at the Auckland Freezing Works spreading to Whakatu and Tonioana revealed the fact that although officials of the local union are watching developments at Auckland with keen interest there is no suggestion at the moment of any support, other than moral support, being accorded the Auckland men.

"We are naturally very interested in developments at Auckland for any decision that would affect their working conditions would also affect us." said an official of the Hawke's Bay branch of the Freezing Workers' Union. "We have been made aware of the dissatisfaction felt in Auckland and in other places and although it i.s felt that there is some justification for the dissatisfaction there has been no suggestion that we in Hawke's Bay should adopt a go slow policy,"

MOEREWA ACTIVITIES NORMAL CONDITIONS RULING DAIRY COMPANY'S DILEMMA [nY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] WHANG AHEI, Thursday Operations are proceeding normally at the works of the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company, Limited, at Moerewa. and the position is not affected Ijjr the hold-up at Auckland. The Moerewa works operate under a separate award, which applies solely to the men employed there. The fact that tho only grading stores for butter in the Auckland Province are located at King's Wharf and Horotiu is likely fo cause embarrassment to dairy companies in the North Auckland district. Mr. W. H. Millington, manager of the Whangarei Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, stated to-day that lie had received advice this morning to limit consignments of butter to the King's Wharf chambers, through which (lie whole of the North Auckland production passes. The accommodation for storage at tlie Whangarei factory is limited and if the present difficulty is not settled within a few days the company "ill be faced with the possibility of having to refuse cream. The company is at present making record productions and yesterday it shipped 1300 boxes of butter.

Mr. Millington said he did not know whether the butter had been placed in storage at King's Wharf. If necessary, there would no doubt ho accommodation at Moerowa for produce, but, in the absence of Government graders at that point, butter could not be forwarded there unless special arrangements were made.