HOROTIU IDLE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22628, 16 January 1937, Page 13

HOROTIU IDLE

MEN STILL IN WORKS WEEK-END ARRANGEMENTS COMMENTS BY OFFICIALS [BY TELKGIUriI—OWN CORKKSPONDKNT] HAMILTON, Friday There was no change in the position at the Horotiu Freezing Works to-day, the premises being virtually closed down and the men pursuing the stay-in campaign, which was initiated yesterday.

The butchers are still manning tjie abattoir department, for the supply of meat for loral consumption, while the 15 permanent hands are storing the small supplies of dairy produce that are coming to hand. The gates were picketed throughout, to-day and no one was allowed to pass either way without a permit. Passes were given freely to members bf the union, who were granted up to two hours' leave of absence. Attempts to organise games of cricket and other outdoor pastimes were made to-day, but lack of gear militated against their successDairy Supplies Reduced The manager of the works, Mr. R. Spiers, stated this afternoon that the quantities of butter and cheese received for storage to-day had been reduced by 2o per cent below the daily average for this time of the year.

Mr. Spiers said there had been no change in the position as far as ho knew and he could give no information as to when normal conditions would prevail at the works. The men on the premises had been very orderly, he added, and there had been no trouble apart from the labour dispute. No Auckland Influence Mr. E. Heard, secretary of the Horotiu branch of the Freezing Workers' Union, stated that the Horotiu men had not been influenced by the action of the workers in the Auckland area. Apart from the protest against the terms of the Arbitration Court award, the men at Horotiu had their own grievances about local conditions.

When Mr. Heard was asked what these grievances were ho declined to go into details. He denied that Ml. W. K. Sill, the Auckland secretary, had in anv way influenced the Horotiu workers in the action they had taken ;mkl pointed out that the Horotiu butchers had volunteered to kill for the local meat trade. When Mr. Heard was shown the telegram which the Minister of Labour, Hon. H. T. Armstrong, had forwarded to Mr. Sill, his only comment was: " J am * not impressed. ' < Mr Hoard could not give any indication .as to how long the stay-in campaign would last or what the next step would be. As far as he was concerned the men would maintain their present attitude. i 11,,,. Several meetings of the men had boon he |,l to-dav lj.it the matters discussed were confidential. A concert was being hold to-night and an outdoor programme had been arranged lor tomorrow. A band was expected to be n attendance at the works on Stnul.n afternoon.

EAST TAMAKI VIEW appeal to the workers WILL LOAD OWN PRODUCIS . Following a meeting of Fast Tamaki farmers Yesterday to discuss the eftect of the stay-in taeties on the dairy inilnstrv, the executive ol the Last Tamaki branch of the .Vw Zealand Farmers' Union issued the following statement as representative of the opinions of over 100 farmers in the d.strict A c<)pv of the statement was forwarded to the Minister of Agriculture. the Hon. W • l/ce A,artll , , ; i , "Wo make special plea to tlx workers to give every consideration to the unloading and storing oi perishable products, as any damage sustained by such goods is not so nrtich a loss to the linns o r the Government, but a direct loss to the farmers. "Jf the workers refuse to give consideration to this request, we ask. the Government to par the guaia , price for all affected dairy produce at the factories before delnciy to freezinii companies. . . "Jn the event of neither of these alternatives being acceded to, the farmers will be forced to protect themselves against further financial loss bv unloading and storing their own prod,TfS no move is made by the workers or the Government, a further meeting will be held at East Tamaki to-night, when the farmers will make arrangements for some of their number to carry out the unloading and storing of their produce.