COMPENSATION ACT

Hokitika Guardian, 20 July 1926, Page 4

COMPENSATION ACT

SAWMILLS CLOSED DOWN. SYDNEY, July 1. Air J*\ Unssnian, penernl secretary of the Associated County Saw-millers, -stated that- nearly one hundred timber mills bad bean compelled to dose down through tbo Workers’ Compensation Act. As a 'result, about 15,000 men would be thrown out of employment.

I “The sawmilling industry has been ■ particularly hard hit,” said Air Tjuss- • mail. “Alany thousands of pounds of i capital have been sunk into the various mills. Tho plight of tbo timber workers and their families is a serious one. They have got neither work nor money.” The Act is having a very disturbing effect on the industry. In the lower North Co,ist areas a large number of timber-getters and teamsters have been put off pending something more Jelinite. 'The head of one concern .vhieh supplies most of the mills' in tho Maitland district with logs has put off his men, for under the new scheme j ho would be paying £3OOO insurances. . A member of a big Alaitland firm -raid j that the position was very serious, i While stocks of logs were available the hardwood mills would continue, , but after that there would lie no alternative but to shut down the mills. M'bis would mean that hundreds in the Alaitland district would be thrown idle. He pointed out that when matters were more settled it would pro- j bably he found that the price of hard- ! wood timber would increases anything from 5s to IDs, and this would make ' it ever so much dearer than imported , softwood. This would possibly have , the effect, of reducing tho amount oT . •Australian timber that would be used ! in tbo building trade. „ j It is known that the head of at least' • one hardwood mill has issued notices to tho whole of the employees, so that .lie can shut down almost at a moment’s notice. |

The position as far as dairy farmers ( are concerned is acute. One farmer j owns seven dairy farms which are j worked by families on shares. He ; made a ,proposal that if they agreed j to take a shilling in the £1 less, he ■ would be prepared to pay all insurances, , otherwise he would he compelled to , shut down and take away the farms, j Another farmer, who controls four . properties, is reported to have put off j all share farmers and to have turned the cows out on grass. Reports are t to hand from several sources that cas- , uni labour is being dispensed with as ( far as possible fiy farmers and men on . the land. I