LABOUR TROUBLES AT PATEA.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1021, 10 January 1911, Page 5

LABOUR TROUBLES AT PATEA.

■ j SHIPPING COMPANIES' CASE.. In conversation with a Dominion representative yesterday, Mr. Eenner, secretary of the Patea Shipping Companv, said that the wages earned by tho" wharf lumpers at Patca had not so far been publicly stated correctly. "For instance," f? 1 a r ' euner > D. M'Laren states that some twenty men were concerned in the strike at Patea, whereas the number of mular men employed on the wharves at the port does not exceed a tfozen. Of course," continued Mr. Renner, "if yon' count the. men who come dowij from the country and do a day's work occasionally you might possibly count up a score or so, but I am speaking of the regular ft* 3 € £^ loye , d ] . n working vessels at l atea. -Take, for instance, our own conv panr. -On an average- we employ six regular men all the year round, and we are the Invest shipping company trading there. Last years receipts the lowestpaid man received £1 ss. av:eek for the twelve months, and the highest over £2 a week, or, to be more correct. ,£lll for eleven months' work. Tho. Patea" Shinpin,? Company are not thVonlv oeopfe who are inconvenienced by this "little labour trouble, for the Harbour Board tftwlV three regular hands, and also" sll 'PP IB S Company one or two

Contrary to Mr. M'Laren's opinion Mr Renner thowpht that the.rato of jaj-' namelj, l.s. 6d,, and 2s. an' hour overtime, was quite sufficient, owing to various reasons. The chief objection that his company had to paying Hvhat the men demand. viz., Is Gd„ an hour ordinary time, A. 6d. overtime, and 2s. Od. for meal hours, at Patea. was because, owing to H 0 t,le port ' ifc cou,d not be classed in the same grade as'Wanganui. iou sgo, said • Mr. Renueiy "at D m anU /l i en t iS high Hcle ' SaV > a ' d p.m., the boats can 'enter that port about noon, and if thev have not much cargo, can get out again tho same tide. Now, take Patea s case. The boats that wish to enter the port must do so on the top of the tide, and if, for instance high tide is at 3 p.m., it is. 3.30 before we get a start to discharge or load, and seeing that we have to run a. service to connect with, the fortnightly vessels leaving for London with chcese and butter the overtime worked at . tho port i= greatly in excess of that at other socalled third-rate ports, and I think that Is. Gd. an hour ordinary time, and 2s. overtime, is a fair tliin=». Of course, the rate of wages earned is not largo, but tho men can- easily increase their wages by taking on other jobs when the nort is not busy."

In conclusion, Mr. Renner said that his company were ouite willing to meet the men with a fair offer,, but, as long as they hold out, the various companies will remain firm, and, at the samo'time, suffer very little inconvenience.