HOPES DURING DAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25105, 19 January 1945, Page 4

HOPES DURING DAY

SETTLEMENT EXPECTEI) FACTORIES' UNIQUE WEEK Opinion was fairly general yesterday that the dairy workers would return to duty pending the settlement of their dispute. This view was strengthened first by reports that t.lie staff at two more factories, Nethorton and Te Puninga, had resumed. It was also announeed during tho day that the employees of the New Zealand Co-opera-tive Dairy Company's Frankton butter and box factories had decided to resume work today regardless of any decision reached at the factory delegates' subsequent meetings. An assurance to this efleet was given to the company's management. The attitude of these workers was summed up by one of them who said : "We have made our demonstration and have shown the employers and the Government where we stand. Having done that we are prepared to resume work." There was also evidence of a desire of the Matangi powdered milk factory workers to return, but it was finally decided to await the outcome of the day's meetings. Some workers actually attended at the factory early yesterday but returned to their homes when no other employees reported. The return of the men to work will complete a situation unique in the history of many companies, of having had their plants operated by five different staffs in as many days. This is best exemplified by the experience of the Frankton butter factory. On Monday the regular staff manned the plant. On Tuesday work was carried on by volunteer labour supplied by the farmers. The Air Force took over on Wednesday, and yesterday the Army received suppliers' cream. Today familiar faces will be back on the weighing platforms.

The Air Force personnel, manv of whom were skilled technicians, found themselves quite at home among the plant of a butter factory and applying themselves with diligence to the work on hand enjoyed what was to many of them a novel experience. Good work was also done by the Army team yesterday and the day's make was turned out in very satisfactory time.

UNIONS PROTEST USE OF SERVICEMEN AUCKLAND RESOLUTIONS Protests against the uso of servicemen in the dairy workers' strike were made by the Auckland Waterside Workers' IJiiioli and the employees of the Otahuhu railway workshops at meetings yesterday. The Otahuhu men also condemned the use of other free labour. Resolutions were passed at both meetings. The president of the union, Mr FT. Barnes, said that Auckland waterside workers had not been Called upon yesterday to handle produce from factories where strikes were in progress. WATERSIDERS' ATTITUDE STATEMENT BY OFFICIAL (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Thursday A statement that the Waterside Workers' Union would not handle produce processed by free labour, and would support the* dairv workers in their dispute, was made by Mr T. Hill, the union's national secretary, today. Mr Hill deplored the projected use of Army personnel in the dairy factories. HAMILTON TAXIS DRIVERS CEASE WORK DISPUTE WITH COMPANY (0.C.) HAMILTON, Thursday Twenty-eight taxi drivers of the Checker' Cab Co., Ltd., Hariiilton, stopped work last night. The work is being carried on by the 12 owner drivers attached to the company. The reason for the cessation of work is that for some time the taxi-drivers have had to pay for any damage to their vehicles out of the commission granted them by the company. The repairs are done in the company's garage. The workers who have stopped state that they will not resume until the company assures them that all payments for damages in the past will be refunded and that the company will carry out future repairs without cost to the driver. A meeting was held in Hamilton last night and two meetings were held today. A further meeting ic arranged for tomorrow morning. The secretary of the Auckland Drivers' Union, Mr L. G. Matthews, and Mr F. D. Muller, organiser of the Drivers' Union in Auckland, have arrived in Hamilton in connection with the dispute. ENEMY PLANES DOWNED AUCKLANDERS' SUCCESSES (Special Correspondent) LONDON, Jan. 17 When Tempests operating in the I'aderborne area of the Western Front recently found German aircraft patrolling railway lines and other important works singly and in pairs, they destroyed six without loss. Flight-Lieutenant Howard Crafts, of Auckland, with an Australian pilot, shared the destruction of a Heinkel 219, which is a new German night lighter, ft plunged in flames into a wood. Flight-Lieutenant E. A. Campbell, of Cambridge, flying a Mosquito night tighter, was recently engaged in a 30minuto fight with a Messerschmitt 110 over Holland, and eventually shot it down in flames. "We twisted and turned after each other, trying to get our guns to hear," said Flight-Lieutenant Campbell. "Once he--nearly got on to our tail. Another time 1 fired and missed. Next time 1 fired I saw strikes, and the third time, at close range, I hit his cockpit area. Pie went down steeply, and T saw a flash and then a red glow on the ground."