DAIRY FACTORY WAGES.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 September 1933, Page 12

DAIRY FACTORY WAGES.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Your article under the heading of “Dairy Factory Wages” will no doubt be read with great interest by both dairy factory directors and managers and staff I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on the very fair manner in which you have placed the facts before the public. I am sorry that I cannot congratulate Mr. J. Brown also. Mr. Brown as a member of the Dairy Employers’ Executive must surely know that there is an additional 12J per cent, cut on the Taranaki factory managers besides the recent 10 and 12J per cent, cuts mentioned in your report of the discussion at the Maketawa meeting. I refer to the 12J per cent, cut imposed on the Taranaki factory managers in 1921. This was never restored to them, and the Taranaki Employers’ Executive has ever since patted itself on the back, and whenever cuts have been about has always kept that 12J per cent, behind the rest of New Zealand. This has led to a lot of misunderstanding and injustice to managers outside this province. I know personally of one or two positions foi factory managers in this province advertised as salary as per factory managers’ scale.. A manager outside this province being the successful applicant finds on receiving his first cheque that he is short paid. On investigating he learns for the first time about the Taranaki factory managers’ schedule. The Factory Managers Executive has several times met the Employers Executive and discussed this matter with, it, but to no useful purpose. I understand that a committee was recently set up to meet the executive again, As I have myself had the pleasure of meeting the executive on a previous occasion, this committee has my sympathy. I am wondering what Mr. J. R. Corrigan’s attitude will be after this season raising the salary of the manager of the Eltham Box Company from £750 to £B5O per. annum. Mr. Brown surely excelled himself when he mentioned one company paying a penny a lb butter-fat less than another company through not imposing the recent cut. As nearly as I can arrive at it the saving is approximately one-thirteenth of a penny per lb butter-fat. In conclusion I wish to say that I’think your opinion is a correct one. If dairy factory wages had been left unreduced with the intimation that greater efficiency would be expected both in manufacture and in the economical working of the factory it would have been wiser. Dairy factory staffs will be called upon to make greater efforts and work longer hours this coming season. I think that I am safe in saying they are all adopting for their slogan the one word “Quality.” They are fully conversant with the difficult times the farmer is going through, and sympathise accordingly. However, there -is no doubt that seeing how the producer has benefited by the raising of the exchange they feel that they are justly entitled to the remuneration they more than earned prior to the latest reduction. —I am, etc., FACTORY MANAGER.

P.S.: As lam not seeking cheap popularity as mentioned in the report of the Maketawa meeting, Mr. J. Brown and Mr. Corrigan can ascertain my name by calling at the Daily News Office.