LABOUR IN CHEESE FACTORIES

Southland Times, Issue 24437, 17 May 1941, Page 3

LABOUR IN CHEESE FACTORIES

So Mr Hickey thinks I am annoyed because he had the temerity to smoke out a “funk hole.” He is mistaken. I did not mention in my previous letter what he said about making the factories “funk holes,” because I agree that it would be the most undesirable thing that could happen. Possibly he thinks I may be one who wants to shelter in an exempted industry. I am a married man with a large family. I stated that I was concerned not for the protection of the assistants, but for the industry. He says he fails to reconcile these two statements in face of the fact that six inches of my eight-inch letter was devoted to a tirade, as he calls it, against managers, directors and secretaries. I am concerned about the shortage of labour and I therefore stated facts why workers were leaving the industry. I agree that some youths could do the routine work as there are a good many strong youths in this country. But where are they? They are in other industries where they enjoy better conditions and rates of pay. Could Mr Hickey or anyone explain why before the war started there was a shortage of workers for dairy factories, while for other industries there was an extensive waiting list and in some cases there is still a waiting list. I did not say women should work with the cheese all day, I said a great part of the day and every day, which is correct. I appreciate Mr Hickey’s little joke about leaning over the vats on one’s abdomen, but he evidently forgets how hard he used to work while leaning over them. In most factories if the manager comes in and finds the men not leaning over the vats, he soon sees to it that they are. In reply to Mr Hickey’s remarks about Greece, in the part of Greece where our boys were, history tells us, the young boys, girls and women have always done the work in the fields and elsewhere, working as men—just as women and children worked in the fields, mines and mills and toiled hard all day and even at night in England many years ago for practically nothing. I do, however, admire the Greek people, especially the Greek soldier who does not receive any pay at all. I don’t think anyone would like to see our boys in those circumstances, or women working in cheese factories. There are numerous avenues to be explored before that will happen. In reply to “Factory Manager’s Wife,” I still maintain that 30/- is excessive for meals alone. Does she really think a worker could work in the factory on a cereal and toast breakfast? Can she explain why the charge was 25/- and immediately the workers receive a 5 per cent, increase to cover all the items in the cost of living the whole 5 per cent, was taken for meals alone? Also, how can some private boarding houses charge 25/- for meals and 30/- for meals and bed, and make these rates pay? As far as concessions go I admit she is not so comfortably situated as the ones in larger factories, but without any concessions some boarding houses charge 25/-. What pay the assistant was receiving does not interest me at present. Because an assistant received £7 he would not necessarily eat more than a worker receiving only say £2. In reference to the coal, it is sold as steaming coal because it is not economical to buy it as household coal, but it can be used for household purposes. A rough estimate of the rent paid by “Factory Manager’s Wife,” I should say, would be about £2/10/- to £3 annually.—DAlßY WORKER. [We have had to curtail this letter. Correspondents should write as concisely as possible, and should try to restrict their letters to a maximum of 200 words.—Editor, The Southland Times.]