PETONE WOOLLEN MILL WORKERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2723, 18 March 1916, Page 6

PETONE WOOLLEN MILL WORKERS

NO CHANGE IN SITUATION

CONFERENCE OF OWNERS

The fact that the mills were closed for ordinary work yostorday did not prevent the foremen (who are not members of the disgruntled union) from finishing off tho work in the process of manufacture in tho various machines. Tho engineering : staff (who have an award of their own) were also at work to supply the power for the machinery. ■At present tho City warehouse and factory staff are unaffected, and the work was proceeding as busily as ever when the place was visited yesterday. It is not generally known that next to the Roslyn mills the Petone works are the largest in New Zealand. There are 70 "sets" of machinos in tho whole of New Zealand, and of those the Roslyn mills have <15. and- the Petone 13 .(ten of which are employed on woollens and three on worsteds). The whole of these "sets" have been engaged exclusively for some time past on the manufacture of khaki for soldiers' uniforms, and it' is urgent that every machine, _ in -the country should be, kept in action to supply the khalci,. . • •

At Thursday evening's meeting of the union a letter was • read to the members from Mr. J. W. M'Ewan, the Mayor of Petone, calling on the members of the union to act with reason during the crisis for tho honour of the town.

A conference of woollen-mill owners is to be hold in Wellington on Tuesday next to consider'the whole position. This has been decided on for obvious reasons. At present the Wellington Woollen Company is offering more than any other company is paying, paying the weavers 7J per cent, over log rates, and is now offering a 5 per cent, increase, to be made restrospective for six months (with as much overtime as they like). The Labour Department is collecting evidence,. with a view to taking action m the matter..