HOSPITAL AGREEMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 13 March 1931, Page 6

HOSPITAL AGREEMENT

TIMBER WORKERS’ UNION. OFFERS INSTALMENTS. (“Grey Argils.”) .11 tin' monthly meeting oT the Grey Hospital Board last evening exception was taken b.v Mr E. L. Turley to remarks passed a! the previous meeting concerning tip. arrears of the Westland Timber Workers’ Union hi its Ilospital payments. A letter was read' from the Secretary of the Westland Hospital Board which staled that that Board regretted that rim Union had failed to keep) its part of the agreement, ami had not met its obligations. The letter stated that the Westland Board offered to assist the Grey Hoard in any possible way to recover the levies due from the Union. A letter was also read from thb President; of the Westland Timber Workers’ Union, Mr B. Topp, which offered terms to liquidate the amount owing. Mr Turlcv said he would like to refer to remarks passed, at tile last meeting of the Grey Board, which had he considered, cast a slur on the Timber Workers’ Union and it also looked :is if he (Mr Turley) was endeavouring to get away with the 61,200 owing. In fairness to himself, he con-ski-ered it only fair to ask that th<. .remarks made be recalled. The tact that the Timber Workers’ Union had got behind in its payments'- was because numerous mills were not working and it wa.s hard to get the money in. He considered it was the timber workers’ business to discuss such matters at their Union meetings, and not on street corners, as had been the ease Last year Cl,loo was collected by the Union and £IOOO of this had been paid in Hospital fees. The position was not as indicated by some of the members at the last Board meeting. The timber workers were finding no fault with the agreement, hut they knew they were getting behind in their payments due to slack times. The whole trouble was that the Union went hack on their payments' last year, when there was a drop in the Union’s membership, and contributions were increased by 12s. which if the industry had gone on well, would have liquidated the £7OO I hen owing to Hospital Boards. All that the Union required was to h<> allowed to lot the agreement stand until the end of June. The Union was prepared, to face the other Boards and desired to pay off the debt. IL' contended the Union would have been abb' to have done so had it not. been for the unforeseen slump in tile industry .which was now brightening ii)i considerably.

After some further discussion, Ihe Chairman Mr J. \Y. Hannan said that the position was that Mr Turley had made a promise which was not carried out. and the Hospital Board had been quite justified in endeavouring to find out why the dues were not paid. It would In? better, in the interests . of the Hospital Boards and ihe Timber Workers’ Union, if the agreement was carric dout. It was in the interests of both. Mrs O’Brien said that the reason it was discussed at the last inecling was that it was brought up. and whether .dr Turley was present or not, it was considered tliaT it was .necessary to deal with th<> matter. She was prepared to hack up the stalvniesirs stie had made.

Tin' (Iliairiunn said that the posit ion now was that the Union were asking the Beard to continue the agreement until the end of June, on the understanding that £225 would he paid immediately and a further sum of £2OO on April 10th. If the Union could not pn yup tin’ll, the agreement would he terminated, and whin the arrears were wiped out, a new agreement could he commenced. Mr Turley said that the postfon /ad been explained. He could not get out of bed through illness to attend last meeting. 4 ne Chairman moved that tin* agreement he continued until the end n't June, on condition that a payment of £"-25 is made immediately, and a further £2OO on April 10th and that further monies he paid to liquidate the iceouiu. and. failing that, that the agreement lie terminated. Air Carter seconded the motion. In reply to Mr Muleare, the Chairman stated that the amount outstanding up to .March 31st. was £1,235. If the £225 was paid in April it would leave a balance of £IOOO. The motion was carried.