RELIEF FELT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22629, 18 January 1937, Page 11

RELIEF FELT

REACTION AT HOROTIU ENDORSEMENT OF DECISION RETURN OF THE DELEGATES [by telegraph—OWN correspondent} Hamilton, Sunday The employees at the Horotiu freezing works last night anxiously waited for the return of their three delegates, Messrs. K. Heard, T. Power and S. Lloyd, who had gone to Auckland to represent them at the conference with the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong. The men spent the evening at an impromptu concert and in discussing tlie situation. The delegates returned at 11 p.m. and a meeting of all the men was immediately convened.

The proposition agreed to in Auckland was placed before the meeting and was received with cheers and with every evidence of relief and satisfaction.

The men unanimously accepted the delegates' recommendation to call off the stay-in campaign, and they gave hearty cheers foT the Minister, the Government and the delegates. Immediate steps were taken to end the campaign by gathering up blankets and cooking utensils preparatory to leanng for home. Vehicles were much in demand, and several taxis were engaged to convey those who could not find room in the cars of their friends.

.Before dispersing volunteers were called for and readily came forward to form gangs to return to-day to clean ud the change rooms and other buildings that have been occupied during the stay-in campaign. These men returned to-day and, after a couple of hours' work, left everything clean and tidy. No storage or other work was done to-day by the men involved in the dispute, but a start will be made to-mor-row morning with the normal operations of the work.

Dairy company directors interviewed to-day* expressed the keenest satisfaction at the decision of the men to resume work. The position had become verv critical, as far as the butter manufacturing companies were concerned, and the greatest anxiety had been felt. Fortunately the temperature has been cool during the last week, and it is not believed that the butter held in insulated railway trucks during the past fen- days will have suffered deterioration, although whether it has or not cannot be determined until it reaches the grading stores in Auckland, after it has been consigned from Horotiu, where most of the'Waikato companies draw their butter immediately after manufacture.

DAIRY LEADERS MEET MEN'S REMOVAL URGED GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY [FKOM OUli OWN cohbkspoxdkxt] HAMILTON, Sunday A hurried conference was held yesterdav of representatives of tho South Auckland and North Auckland Dairy Associations and the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company, Limited, to discuss the position as it affected the dairy farmers ol the district. Mr. H. McKenzie, chairman of directors of tho New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, presided, and among those present wen- Mr. F. h. Cullen, of Maimgaturoto, representing the North Auckland Dairy Association, Messrs. II K. Worsp, cliairman of directors of the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company, Limited, F. M. I'M kins, a director, and N. A. Thomson, secretary of the'company, as well as many directors of South Auckland dairy companies. The meeting was not o[>eri to the press, but it was revealed afterwards that the delegates viewed the then position with the greatest gravity. Th<> conference passed the following resolution "That this conference of representatives of the dairy companies in North and South Auckland considers that the responsibility of arranging an immediate settlement of the dispute .it the freezing works.rests solely with tho Government-, and desires to point out that unless a settlement is made butter factories will be compelled cease operations almost immediately. It was furl her resolved: —"We demand that the Government should take immediate stops to remove the men from the uorks, so that the placing of dairv produce in the freezers may bo proceeded with immediately." Messrs. It. H. McKenzie (Hamilton), A. J. Sinclair (To Awamutu), and F. F. Cullen (Maimgaturoto) were appointed a committee to proceed to Auckland immediately to interview the Hon. 11. T. Armstrong, Minister of Labour, and place before him the views of the conference, and to stress tho urgent necessity of action being taken at once in order to save the dairy factories of North and South Auckland from closing down.