A SERIOUS POSITION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10669, 16 August 1920, Page 4

A SERIOUS POSITION

ACTION BYCOMPANY. THE MEN DETERMINED. In connection with the threat of tho employees to strike, the employers in the sugar industry recently issued the following notice dealing with the Employees' Provident Fund:—"l would draw your attention to the provisions of rule 34 of the Employees' Provident Fund: (34) Any subscriber who absents himself from his employment " for a period of one week without leave from tho company or its representative shall be deemed to have resigned from the service of the company, and shall, be dealt with Jccordingly, but in the event of his re-engagement the trustees shall have power to reinstate him in his positioitt a* subscriber to the fund upon such terms as they may see fit." THE MEN DETERMINED.. A quest for information concerning developments, if any, in the dispute, elicited the information from an officer of the union that members had refused a request to put off the hour of striking, and were determined, in the event of the other side'not coming forward with satisfactory proposals, to adhere to their former decision to enter be the fight at midnight on Saturday. COST OP PRODUCTION. With reference to the'statement by Sir "William Hemes that the threatened strike by the sugar workers amounted to declaring war on the community, the secretary of the Auckland Sugar Workers' Union says:. "It seems toliave.been, made. to. influence- public opiniou against the workers' claim. I mav point out that the> increase, which involves over £2,000,000, was not even referred to Parliament for sanction. Tho increase amounts to about £4 per head of the adult population. The following facts in regard to tho cost of sugar production will be of public interest: From the augar cane to the refined article tho Sugar Company pays £1 Is per ton for cane sugar; 'it "takes eight' tons of cano sugar to make one ton of raw sugar. Mr Hedstron, M.L.C.. Fiji, plantation owner, estimates at £4 12s would cover manufacture and cos* of sacks, and to this £1 export tax, and we arrive at £ls per ton for raw ,sugar. WHAT THE WORKERS WANT.

"The New Zealand Government are * now paying £35 per ton for raw sugar at Fiji ports. The Government pay 27s 6d transport charges from Fiji to Chelsea wharf; they also pay cost of transport from chip's side to refinery (estimated at 3s per ton). The total cost of wages for 300 hauds, is estimated at £I2OO or £I3OO. We are asked to believe that it takes the difference between £35 and £sl per" ton for transport and refinery charges. If Mr' Hedstron's calculation is correct, the Sugar Company are making £1,300,000 on raw sugar alone, reckoning 65;000 tons as the yearly output, this being the amount contracted for to the New Zealand Government. The wholesale price of sugar previous to tho riso on I§oo tons weeklv output was £28.500, 6r £1,482,000 per year. The wholesale price now at £sl per ton amounts to £61,200 per week, £3,192,400 per vcar. showing a rise of £1,700.400 over tho twelve months' period. The Government pay the Sugar Company 22s 6d per ton _ managerial charges, reckon 8s £d income tax, which brings the amount down to 14 s per ton, or. on 65,000 tons £45,500 per year. What the workers are asking fon is, £l7O per week riso in wages, or £BB4O per annum, which seems a small amount considering the large profits involved."