NEW ZEALAND FARMERS’ UNION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21602, 24 March 1932, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND FARMERS’ UNION

BRANCH MEETINGS LAWRENCE The monthly meeting of the Lawrence branch was held on March 12. Mr R. S. Thompson presided over a large attendance. The principal business before the meeting was. if possible, to finalise the arrangements for the remuneration of mill workers. Before asking the workers’ representatives to enter, the chairman explained to those members who were not present at the previous meeting that it had been agreed at that meeting to offer the men Is 6d per hour for threshing and 6d per hour for chaff cutting, and he asked if they were agreeable to this at the present meeting. The award rate, he explained, was Is 8d per hour, but farmers were not able to pay this figure. He also explained that if the mill workers were not members of the union there was no risk of prosecution by the Labour Department, and, that being so, he suggested that they should impress on _ the mill owner the advantage of employing a nonunion staff. The question of the number of bags of chaff per ton was again raised. One or two members strongly held that the number should be 30, whereas the bulk of the members held that if they got a fair average number per ton they were satisfied. The mill workers were then invited to come in, and Messrs T. Crowley and M, Fahey entered as representatives of the mill workers. . . The chairman explained the decision of the meeting to offer Is 6d per hour and 6d per ton. and said it was much regretted that less than the award rate of Is Bcl per hour for threshing was offered. Mr Fahey pointed out that the mill workers had met the farmers last year by accepting a reduction from Is 10-jd to Is 7d, and he thought it would only be a fair thing if the farmers met them this year by splitting the difference between the award rate of Is 8d and their offer of Is 6cl. The time worked on each farm was generally only a few hours, and while the extra penny was a small thing to the farmer, it meant a few pounds to the workers in the season. Mr Crowley supported Mr Fahey and pointed out the unpleasant nature of the work, etc. Mr H. Winter said that the saving to the farmer may be small by paying less than the workers want, but with small savings other ways a large saving resulted to the farmer. The chairman again stressed the point that it was only sheer necessity that compelled them to offer less than the award, and lie suggested that they might; if they wished, retire and confer with their fellow-workers and return with their decision.

The delegates showed no inclination to act on the chairman’s suggestion, and after a little hesitation Mr Crowley expressed his willingness to fall in with the farmers’ proposal, but Mr Fahey said he would talk the matter over with the other workers before making a decision. The delegates undertook to let the secretary know of the mill workers’ decision. The workers’ representatives then withdrew. The chairman remarked that while the result of their conference was not very satisfactory he felt sure that in the circumstances the workers would recognise the position of the farmers and accept their offer. On the motion of the chairman a motion of regret at the departure of Mr MTver as station master at Lawrence, and congratulations on his promotion in the railway service was carried by acclamation. tiie date of the annual meeting was fixed for April 9, and the chairman announced that Mr E. H. Murney, of Tapanui, had agreed to deliver a short address uuon that occasion.

Mr G. Davidson moved, and Mr W. F. Labes seconded, that the duty on imported British woollen goods be reduced to the 1928 level. A copy of this resolution to be forwarded to the provincial executive.

WAIKOIKOI A meeting of the Waikoikoi branch of the New Zealand Farmers Union was held on March 15, Mr W. J. MKenzie (president) presiding over a good attendance of members. . . The Chief Postmaster (Dunedin) wrote regarding the mail service that the branch’s request had been granted and that there would be a daily mail to Gore, closing at 9.15. The secretary was mstructed to write thanking nira. The secretary of the Tapanui Sub executive wrote asking the branch to donate £1 towards covering the Henot secretary’s expenses in the dispute _ between the Heriot branch and P. and Duncan. Each branch was being asked for £l, and the sub-executive would tad the balance—Decided to forward £l. Correspondence from the secretary, Otago Provincial Council, was read and discussed, particularly the matter ot mortgagers’ relief and interest charges. ine opinion was expressed that interference of any sort was bad, as it destroyed confidence in farm security. The position ot the mortgagee who could not get his interest, yet was compelled to pay the rates, while the man with a chattel mortgage really got free grazing and use ot the land, was considered to be anomalous, and his position seemed to merit some consideration—The correspondence was received. The secretary was instructed to send on a remit regarding Sunday excursions, ihe members were very emphatic in tne opinion that the Sunday trains were wrong. There was no real need for them, and, in times like this, people should not be encouraged to squander their money on amusements, and especially Sunday amusements.