WHAKATANE MILLS

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21040, 16 February 1940, Page 6

WHAKATANE MILLS

PRICE APPLICATION PLANT WORKING EFFICIENTLY (By Telegraph.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, FridayCalled by the Price Investigation Tribunal in the Whakatane Paper Mills application, the mill superintendent, Frasdadt, said he was satisfied that all stores were properly checked so that they could be neither stolen nor wrongly used. He thought the wages paid at the mill were double those in Sweden, where the working week was 48 hours. There were mechanical difficulties at present in the way of using more waste paper at the mill in the manufacture of chipboard. It would be quite expensive to carry out the necessary alterations, and some time would elapse before it could be accomplished. Another point was that a cardboard mill was based upon the use of ground wood pulp. All stages of the manufacturing process were operating 100 per cent efficiently. Talk of Closing Down The next lot of questions related to import restrictions. Horrocks denied the allegation that he threatened, prior to January 17, to close the works down. He simply said. “I will have to close.” The judge set out the position by saying, “Call it an announcement.” Questions followed to the effect that the announcement resulted in the boxmakers approaching the Government for import licenses. A telegram to one firm that Whakatane was definitely going to close down brought from Horrocks the statement, •Yes, I expected to close the works down.” He did not know whether restrictions were reimposed or not. He said he had no advice to that effect. Horrocks said that in continuing to supply board the works were what one might call a Good Samaritan Mr Perry: We hope you will continue to be, Mr Horrocks. Horrocks: And- we are losing about £lO a ton on the board we make. The harder we work the poorer we get. (Proceeding)