THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1060, 22 June 1912, Page 3

THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

CON TRACT PADDOCKING

AN ALTERATION WANTED

At a meeting ot tbe New Zealand Flaxmillers Association held at Palmerston North on Tuesday, a deputation from the Flaxmills Employees’ Union was received. The acting-President (Mr Broad) presided and other millers present were Messrs H. and E- Seifert, Tennant, Ingram and Higginson. The Union was represented by Messrs Brown, Stove, Patemau and Christian,

The deputation brought before the Association a resolution, passed at a meeting held about six weeks ago asking for a “ system of piece work paddocking, the basis of which shall be the principle that not less than two men shall share in the piece work for each stripper running, with special provisions, if necessary, for ever} mill where more than two strippers are running.” They explained that under the present system a man got the paddocking by piece work and employed one or two men to help him. They all did the same woik, but the man who had the contract got from 25s to v a cliy out of it while he paid his assistants nine or ten shillings a day. The Union considered that this was inequitable and that there was much dissatisfaction regarding it. If the milllers would give the piece work for each stripper to two men instead of one they would share and share alike. Mr Tennant said they were evidently wanting them to prevent one working man exploiting another.

Mr Broad said they had come there in the best oi spirit and would consider what had been asked and let them know in lime tor next season, as the present season was practically over. He ext.jhed the veiy friendly relations existing between the Millers’ Association and the Union and thought it boded well for the future of the industry in which they were mutually interested. There was no longer antagonism and each recognised the other body as doing good work. The Association was prepared to meet the Union always in a friendly spirit, but was the Union straightforward with them ? They had met the Union in the cutting matter, but the Union instead of coming to the Association in regard to the accommodation went to the Government. They should have put their grievance before the Association and if they did not obtain redress then go further. Then while the Union was under the Arbitration Court it was affiliated to the Federation of Labour, which was opposed to the Arbitration Court and its agreements. He asked them to be perfectly frank and open with the Association and it would be so with the Union. Their present position in the Federation of Labour was not consistent. As lor the paddockiug matter, that, he personally thought, was one they should settle amongst themselves, because it simply amounted to one worker exploiting another. They had a minimum wage. Mr Brown and Mr Stove cordially reciprocated the good feeling shown and the splendid way they had been received and at their request Mr Broad said that the Executive would recommend millers to close down the whole- day on Saturday, July 29th to enable all hands to attend the general meeting of the Union to be held at Palmerston.

From what we have been able to gather, there appears to be a eood deal of dissatisfaction expressed by some of the men employed in tbs paddocks on the working of this branch under existing condition. The award provides that “ The minimum rate for piecework paddocking (which means and includes all work from taking the fibre off the poles and stacking the same in the scutching shed} shall be from the rst April to 30th September inclusive, 23s 6d per ton ; from the Ist October to the 31st March, 20s per ton. When carting is done

5s per ton shall be added to the foregoing rates.” It also provides a minimum rate of pay of one shilling per hour lor assistant paddockers. The present system of working is for one man to undertake to do the paddocking on piecework and to employ what extra labour he requires. In mills where only one stripper is used the pieceworker does not make a great deal more than- ordinary rates of pay, but where a mill is running a number of strippers and the paddocking is let to one man, the result is that the amount paid for this branch of the work is by no means equally divided. We have heard that at a certain mill in this district, the piecework paddocker was for some time making as much as per week clear and was paying his assistants ten and eleven shillings per day which is well above the rate stipulated by the Award, Of course, the above amount was only earned tor a time and during the balance of the season the paddocker’s returns would not average half this figure, but still when the whole year is taken into account it will be found that the pieceworker at some of the larger mills is getting a really good return tor his labour.