FREEZING DISPUTE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 10, 27 January 1937, Page 5

FREEZING DISPUTE

-Presi Associ&tioo.i

Terms of Settlement Before Dairy Conference SURPRISE FOR MINISTER

(By Telegraph-

WHANGAREI, Last Night. Thp full report of the proeeedings at the conference held in Wellington last week in connection with the freezing works dispute was submitted to a conference of North Auckland dairy companies in Whangarei yesterday, by Mr A. J. Sinclair, secretary-manager of the Te Awamutu Co-op Dairy Company, who was present at Wellington, as one of the representatives of the dairy industry. Mr Sinclair said that he had obtained a verbatin report of the proeeedings, but they were confidential and could nqt be released for publication. He commented, however, that at one stage of the proeeedings the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, had lost his temper and found that he could not impos© his will on the employers' representatives. The Minister would probably be one of the most surprised' men in New Zealand when he found that that had been reported in. biack and white. With Mr Sinclair at the Wellington conference were Mr B,. H. McKenzie, chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Company, representing the dairy industry, which was vitaily interested in the dispute, and Mr. Cullen. of Maungaturoto, who was also a director of the Freezing Comp.any. Mr. Sinclair said that in the Waikato the effect of the "stay-in" strikes was becoming so serious that jt was decided that if a settlement was not reached the factories would have to close on the 20th of the month. The invitation for the representatives of the dairy industry to attend had been extended at the last minute. and it was very satisfactory that they had been invited, as the dairy companies were the people who had to foot the 'bill, and the farmers had to pay. It was something that they were allowed to have some say in the settlement of the questions. He also referred .to a meeting of dairy suppliers held in Hamilton on Saturday night and at which a number of resolutions were passed, and on the motion of Mr S. W. Smith (Bay of Islands) these wero endorsed. Mr Smith said that it was obvious that either the award should be observed or the Arbitration Court abolisbed.