HOUSEWIVES SPEAK OF MEAT PROBLEMS

Chronicle (Levin), 21 May 1946, Page 8

HOUSEWIVES SPEAK OF MEAT PROBLEMS

-Press Association

WANT TO SEE BUTCHERS OFEN ONSATUfeDAXS

By ; Telegrayh-

AUCKLAND, May 20. Although the parties to- the dispute had reached an agreement, a conside'is ahle aniount of evidente was bfought by two outside bodies,- the New' Zealand. Housewives ' Association, and the NewT Zealand Women 's Food Yalue League, when the Auckland retail butchers ' dispute was keard before Mr. Justice Tyndall in the Arbitration Court. No changes in thfe wage' elauses were clainied and the eniployers ' representative, Mr. W. E. Andefso'n, aiid the union representative, Mr. W. E. Sill, said the parties had reached an agreement on the elauses which embraced a iive-dav, 40-hour wreek, with Saturday morning 'elosing. Kepresenting the Rousewives' Association. and Food Yalue League re)spectively, Miss G. M. Pilkington aiid Mrs. N. II. Good, said their organisations were not opposed to the uhion:s, having a 10-hour or flve-day wee'k but clainied that Saturday morning elosing deprived housewives and mothers of opportunities for leisure given other sections and placed a great burden on tliem. They suggested the shops should remain open on Saturday mornings and that their emploj-ees should have theii holiday on some other day. Mrs. Good said her league might talce a different view if deliveries were resumed and refrigerators were available at- a price wliich most people could alford. x Vlrs. Clara James, a housewife, gave evidence that there were two people m her household and although she went to shops only twice a woek 011 normal days, she liow had to go two or three tim.es on Fridays. For women with large families it was a great trial to have to do all the week-end shopping on Friday, especially if they liad to take young active children with tliem. "This court has the power to elose shops. but. not to keep tliem open and apparently they are not open," said Ilis Honour. "Did witness know of any law to foree people to keep their shops open?" Witness: If a businessman opens a sliop has he not a responsibility to the publie ? Ilis Honour: Was it not your' association that took some action against the gas workers? Wliy do you not take j some action against these other people if they are breaking the law? Witness: I did not-.say it was against the law of the land. "Is not the real reason for shops [shutting on Saturday mornings that | Parliament put tlirough an Act that | employees lie paid time-and-a-half ? " ' asked his Honour. ? | Giving evidence for the Food Value | League, Harold Paull, chief sauitary ; inspector for the Auckland City Coun- ; cil, said his deparfment was mak-ing a survey of apartnients which did hot ! conform with the by-laws. The areas covered so far included 1480 apartnients with a population of 2S77. There were 240 of these with proper builLin safes with outside ventilation, 73(5 with encltised cupboards, 288 with portable safes, and 21(5 without any provisio'n at all for keeping perishable foodstirfts. No refrigerators were found. In reply to his Honour witness said it was his opinion that there were about 12,000 people in apartment buildings in the city and 50 or more per eent. had unsatisfai'tory food storage fac-ili-ties. "IMeat deteriorates quicklv in hnmidity and the moderately high temperatures in Auckland for eight months of tlie year," said Dr. Barbafa Hay Roche. She did not think it possible for three-quarters of the year for people under the apartment condition.4 mentioned, to keep meat from Friday to Sun day. Meat purchased by working women 011 Friday mornings and kept at their place of work until they went home in the evening, was not l'ikely to keep until Sunday even if it was cooked 011 Fiiday night, added. witness. To gain the niaximmu benefit from a hot meat meal it should be teateh on Sundays when Ihe people were not timi.