SAWMILL WORKERS

Southland Times, Issue 21716, 31 May 1932, Page 10

SAWMILL WORKERS

THE SOUTHLAND UNION. MEETING OF EXECUTIVE. An executive meeting of the South-* land Sawmill Workers’ Union was held in the office on Friday. The president, Mr Charles Fagrell, occupied the chair. The secretary; Mr T. O’Byrne, stated that he had filed an application applying to the Court of Arbitration to have the award extended so as to join three sawmillers in the Otago district who were not bound by an award and who were operating and competing unfairly against those sawmillers who were bound by an award. The application was to come before the Arbitration Court in Dunedin on June 7. The secretary was appointed to appear before the Court on behalf of the union. A communication was received from the secretary of the Tuatapere branch of the union stating that conditions were exceedingly slack in <lie district. A number of the mills were closed down, and the remainder were working only half time. The secretary also stated that it was decided at a meeting of the branch to ask the executive to issue lists on behalf of the dependants of a deceased member. It was thought by the meeting not advisable to send out lists at this juncture on account of the fact that twothirds of the members were not engaged in the industry, and that those who were, were not working half time. Several members who had met with accidents wrote asking the union to collect compensation on their behalf. The secretary reported that the claims had been successfully negotiated. Mr J. Roberts, secretaiy of the Provisional National Council, wrote forwarding copies of the decisions of the open industrial conference. The secretary of the Nightcaps Coal Miners’ Union wrote stating that he had received a number of forms for signature in connection with the petition to be presented to Parliament on its reassembly calling for the Government’s resignation. The writer stated that Wallace was a large electorate and it was a fairly big task for one union to operate, and he wanted to know what had been done by other unions. The secretary stated that so far no petition had been received. In fact he had not seen one; but the union was prepared to do everything possible to root the Coalition Government out of power. A number of mill delegates wrote forwarding members’ contributions which were received with thanks. On the motion of Messrs J. Alsweiler and C. Fagrell, a motion was unanimously passed congratulating Mr H. E. Holland and his party on the great fight they had put up against the “vicious” legislation that had been introduced and passed by the Coalition Government. Mr O’Byrne stated that there was no Parliamentary Labour Party in the British Empire which had ever put up such a wonderful fight against the cancelling of humane legislation that had been on the Statute Book for over a quarter of. a century, and it, the Dominion Parliamentary _ Labour Party, was deserving of the highest approbation of everyone in New Zealand who rendered useful services to the community. The great pity was that at the last election the people did not wake up and return sufficient Labour members to stop the repealing of laws that had been so beneficial to the people of the Dominion. And now they had to wait close on four years before they would get an opportunity of recording their protests against the enactments that have been placed on the Statute Book during the last black session of Parliament, he said. The secretary reported having visited a number of sawmills in the various districts. He stated that the timber trade showed no signs of improvement, and at the present time twothirds of the members were not engaged in the industry. Most of the remaining members were only working from two to three days a week as there was no demand for timber. The secretary stated that £l7 had been received in members’ contributions since the last meeting, bringing the total up to £llB for the year.