“SAVE US FROM OUR FRIENDS.”

Taranaki Daily News, 18 November 1930, Page 6

“SAVE US FROM OUR FRIENDS.”

A very interesting position in tradesunionism has arisen in regard to the flax-milling industry in the Manawatu. Workers in that undertaking are subject to an award of the Arbitration Court, and since the price of hemp has fallen below the cost of production at the rates of wages fixed by the award the usual result has occurred. Mills have been shut down and unemployment has greatly increased, especially in and around the town of Foxton. As a way of resuscitating the industry employers and employees met in conference. The meu were given the actual figures of costs of production and 1 prices received for hemp and they agreed that lower costs were imperative in the meantime. The wage-earn-ers expressed themselves willing to accept a lower wage, and the employers guaranteed to keep the workers in full knowledge of the position and to increase wages again so soon as prices would permit. On the face of it there seemed no reason why a resumption of work should, be delayed for 24 hours. But there was the employees’ union to deal with. It was asked to apply for an amendment of the award permitting, under proper safeguards of the workers’ interests, a lower wage being paid until prices improved. The union’s reply is that as the request came through a member of the union who was £4 in arrears with his union fees no notice could.be taken of it. A worse case of bureaucratic red tape it would be hard to find. In the meantime no action has been taken by the union, flaxmill hands are still unemployed, and, it is alleged, their wives and fainilies are suffering privation, that must be prolonged until a union rule is complied with. The plain fact seems to be that as the men concerned met the employers without the intervention of the union the bosses of that organisation intend to teach them a lesson in propriety. It is instances such as this and the petulant claims in regard to the personnel of the board of control under the new Unemployment Act that makes the taxpayer wonder if organised labour is in earnest about its desire, to see general unemployment in the Dominion become a trouble of the past.

meantime it looks as though the dairy industry ia inclined to seek a scapegoat for the condition into which it has drifted as regards the manufacture and export of cheese. At the moment it is the Dairy Control Board that is the object of criticism. The Minister said last week that the board should have o-iven a, lead to the industry in regard to the wisdom of standardising or not, t 0 which the board retorts that it has gone as far as its powers permit in making a recommendation ami that it is in the hands of the department to accept or reject the bohrd’s advice. In quarters opposed to that recommendation there have been attacks upon the board on account of its alleged heavy cost to the suppliers. Taking the ease of a supplier of 50001 b of butter fat as an instance, the present levy would work out at 15s 7d per annum. For that, the board claims, he receives full attention in regard to the arrangement of freights and supervision of his produce while it is being loaded, in transit by sea, unloaded and in store in Great Britain; he has it insured at one of the lowest premiums in the world, and he has a fair amount of advertising done in the United Kingdom on his behalf. Further a portion of his levy is paid fo- .research work nt Massey College, and he is supplied free with a monthly periodical, presumably chiefly devoted to the interests of the dairy %idustry. On the whole the charge for such services does not seem excessive to the individual. At the same time the cost as a whole is fairly heavy, and in these days of falling prices economy in administration must be the watch-word of every undertaking in New Zealand if it is to weather the storm of depression. The complaints and arguments within th: industry are indicative of indecision and uncertainty among those in control of its destinies. That is a factor it is within the Minister’s power to remove, and the sooner he takes the necessary action the better for all concerned.