FLAXMILLERS’ AWARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3769, 1 August 1907, Page 3

FLAXMILLERS’ AWARD.

* ‘ Flaxy ’ ’ unburdens himself in the Martinborough Star, in reference to the recent Arbitration Award, as follows: “Allow me to express what I believe will be the opinion of all flaxmillers’ employees as to the judgment given recently in the flaxmillers’ dispute. The minimum wage fixed for washer (finding boots and apron) is is per hour. This, I think, is absurd, in the face of the wage for flyers and benchloaders. A washer must pay about 25s for boots and from 7s 6d to 10s for an apron to lessen the chances of rheumatism which are only lessened, as be as, careful as he may, he cannot escape a daily wetting. His apron may last a season, but he will need about three pairs of boots, and above all, he needs experience to manage the work. A flyer has no outlay, and if possessed of ordinary intelligence can pick up his work in an hour, as can also the beuchloader ; yet the former is allowed the same as the washer, whilst the latter gets a penny an hour more. Then comes the drivers’ award. In the drivers’ dispute for Wellington, drivers of one horse were allowed £2 ss; drivers of two horses £2 10s; drivers of three horses £2 15s ; and for drivers of over three horses the wage was fixed at £3. Our drivers’ award says £2 6s for drivers of one or more horses. Now is it fair that because these men are working in the country where living is far more expensive than in town the}'- should be treated differently to others who happened to bring their case before the Court at Wellington. Then comes the poor rouseabout who is only awarded an hour. Mr Justice Sim should tak a few hours at this work himself, then, perhaps, he would award himself the mill. It was mentioned at ‘the Court sittings by one flaxmill owner that he paid his rouseabout (an extra good man) 8s per da} 7 . Before that “extra good man” took the job there bad been eight or nine men tried the job in three months but could not stick to it. One of these men exchanged with a flyer, and made play ol that job. The flyer took the sorting, and the sorter took the rousabouting. The man sorted for two months, and is described by another miller as the best benchy he ever employed, yet 12 hours was the extent of his career as rouseabout. In the end the “extra good man ” took the job and stuck to it, because he had to, I think, as he was a married man, but I feel safe in saying that he will decline with thanks next season. These items should serve to illustrate the justice of my opinion of the award, which is that the first lines of your report is inappropriate. You say, I think, ‘ln the Arbitration Court . . . judgment was given.’ Read instead, ‘ln the Arbitration Court . . a decision was arrived at,’ as I am sure judgment was conspicuous by its absence.”