DAIRY INDUSTRY

Hokitika Guardian, 18 March 1930, Page 2

DAIRY INDUSTRY

CLAIM FOR HIGHER WAGES IN FACTORIES. THE EMPLOYERS’ CASE. WELLINGTON, March 15. The hearing of the dispute between the Dairy Companies’ Industrial Union jf Workers and the dairy companies throughout the Wellington industrial district, and the Wellington creameries, cheese and butter factories was resumed in tiie Arbitration Court yesterday before His Honour Mr Justice Frazer (president), Mr L. J. Schmitt (employers’ representative), and Mr V. L. Monteith (workers’ representati v o).

Mr T. O. Bishop appeared for the employers, who made the application lor a new award, and Mr J. Roberts appeared for the union. Mr Bishop stated that the present award was made early in 1927 and embodied with minor alterations the recommendations of the Conciliation Council. The award wa s almost an exact copy of the awards made by the committee a few months earlier for the Northern and Taranaki districts, in which the wages and hours were decided by the Court and were an increase in rates of Id. an hour on the 1925 - pronouncement. If he could show that the workers’ conditions had improved since the last award was made, whereas the condition of the employers Was much worse than at any time since the award was made, then -it followed, at least, that the rates and conditions of the present award, should remain unaltered. In August, 1926. the cost of living index was 1633, or 63.3 per cent, higher than in July, .1914, which was placed at 1009. and was the basis of computation. In 1927 it was 1615, in 1928 it was 1618, and for 1929 it fell to IGO7. The employers’ condition bad not improved. It Was said that the reduction in butter prices was made up by the increased output. It was true the New Zealand output had increased, but in Wellington tlicie had beeife a substantial drop in production this season. The number of suppliers had increased from 10,698 in 1926 to 11,234 in" 1929. ‘The production had decreased as shown by the following figures for the' period August to January in each year:—

Blitter Cheese (cases) (orates) 1927- ... 334,830 120,476 1928- ... 350,025 135,098 1929- ... 340,460 124,142

FARM LABOURERS’ POSITION. While the fall in output was considerable, the drop in prices was much more alarming, and the prospects for the remaining portion of this season’s output were the worst for a long time. Small suppliers occupying farms of under 150 acres, of whom there were 4009 in the district, would this year receive a wage considerably less than that paid to the factory workers under the award. Labour on the farm must bo taken into consideration, and farm workers were more numerous than factory workers, yet the former had their wages fixed by the world’s parity prices, while at the same time they bad to find the wages of the factory employees as fixed by the Court’s award.

WAGES'AND HOURS, Mr Bishop said a great portion of the workers’ argument was that in the industry the hours were long and the wages low. It was admitted that the hours were long diie to the necessity of the industry. While the hours were 8’ a day in cheese-making and eight in butter-making for seven days a week, the nature of the work enabled those, hours to he worked without hardship. The employers asked for the retention of the present award while the workers asked for a reduction in hours and increase in wages and certain special rates. A slight increase in the size of the vats was sought by the employers, which would often obviate the necessity for using a third vat for a small quantity. Evidence on costs of production and management were given by E. J. Fawcett M. A., an authority on farm, economics, which went to show that the earnings of the factory workers were greater than those of the farmers and suppliers. G. M. Pottinger accountant to the New Zealand Dairy Produce Control Board, gave evidence as to the prices of butter and cheese on the London market, showing the decline in prices which had been experienced, costs of transport wharf to wharf, etc. Replying to Mr Roberts, witness said that in his opinion butter would rise to 160 - a hundredweight by June. Mr Roberts said he was glad to hear someone had a more optimistic view regarding the future. J. M. McDonald, manager, Cheltenham Dairy Co., gave the Court information as to the working conditions of factories, and said that while the hours” were of necessity long, the work was not nearly so arduous as in many other occupations. Other witnesses also gave evidence as to the internal working in butter and cheese factories. The Court adjourned until this morning.