IDLE STORES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22627, 15 January 1937, Page 8

IDLE STORES

BUTTER AND CHEESE- 1 HOLD-UP IN EXPORT ! THOUSANDS OF CASES DETERIORATION RISKS Coastal shipping has been disorganised, overseas vessels have been delayed, and thousands of boxes of butter and cheese cannot be unloaded from railway trucks and ships as a result of the stay-in tactics of the Auckland freezing workers. Altogether 10,000 bofces of butter have been left in the railway goods yards, arid there are more than 5000 boxes still under hatches in coastal vessels. A continuation of the dispute it likely to have a serious effect upon the condition of export produce that has been shipped to Auckland during tba past few days. Kach day that it j| kept out of cool storage means deterioration and a consequent loss in grading. The butter at the goods yards is in refrigerated trucks and should nob deteriorate rapidly unless the weather becomes hotter and the dispute is prolonged, but the butter in the vessels at the Northern Steamship Company's wharf can remain only a few <javs without deterioration, although it ig being kept under hatches so that the temperature will not he too high. Watersiders' Attitude The only refrigerated produce to arrive at the Auckland wharves yesterday to be loaded for export came from one of the firms whose employees hava private agreements with the employers,. These men are stated to he disinclined to imperil their present position by supporting the workers how engaged in the stay-in movement.

Any refrigerated produce arriving at the wharves is being loaded into the ships to which it is consigned, as the Auckland Waterside Workers' Union has received no official advice of a dispute between the freezing workers and their employers. It is stated that the waterside workers were instructed by their Dominion executive to handle produce before the present dispute arose. Their own agreement with their employers is now under consideration, and for that reason they are extremely unlikely to take any sympathetic action. The waterside workers also are said lo Ik? not in sympathy with the freezing workers, because some of the latter are men who first obtained employment at the works when the original staff went on strike in 1931. A reorganised union was formed, but many of the 1931 strikers have never been able to get back into the works, as their placei are still filled by other men. Some Produce Loaded Refrigerated produce was loaded yesterday afternoon into the Federal steamer Cornwall; but no cargo arrircd for the Shaw, Savill and Albion Line motor-ship Taranaki or for the Port Line steamer Port Alma. The Port Alma sailed for Waikokopu last eren-

ing to continue homeward loading leafing behind a portion of the refrigerated produce which she was to lift at Auckland.

The Shaw, Savill and Albion liner Tainui is taking in a small amount of general cargo, in the absence of any refrigerated produce, and is to remain here until Saturday, as originally scheduled, even if she lies idle, in the hope that the dispute will be settled before then. Coastal Services The coastal services of the Northern Steamship Company, which carries freight for about 30 dairy companies, have been seriously affected by the stay-in movement. Four vessels have been unable to discharge cargoes of butte» and cheese, and two more are due to-day with large quantities of produce. It is estimated that there will be approximately 8000 boxes of butter and 1000 crates of cheese under ship's hatches to-day, instead of in cool storage.

The Toa brought a large cargo of butter from Whakatane on Wednesday, and this was placed in the cool stores, but all her cheese had to be stored in the wharf sheds. The Pono from Kcrepeelii was unable to discharge, and the Taniwha from Paeroa. the Claymore from Whangarei. and the Omana from Matakana, which all arrived yesterday, had to keep their butter and cheese under hatches. 50 Trucks of Butter As a result the Claymore's departur® for Whangarei was cancelled yesterday, and the Pono will nou leave tor Piako to-day. The Paroto is due from the Bay of Islands this morning with 1600 boxes of butfer and the Waiotahi will als>o bring more butter from Opotiki. There are now 50 trucks of butter and 2o trucks of cheese in the railway goods yards, and the Railway Department is not accepting any further shipments of produce for Auckland. Kven if the dispute does end soon, there is likely to be delay in loading produce on ships for overseas export, as t • trucks will have to be used to take tie butter into the cool stores before they can be sent on to the wharves.