HEMP INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2215, 14 December 1920, Page 2

HEMP INDUSTRY.

P.l .AXMILLERS AND THE DONPS

A slop-work meeting’ of members of the Manawatu Klaxmill Workers Union is threatened for to-morrow, to consider wind further action, if any, they will take in connection with a request recently made to the employers for a further increase of pay. The re'quesl was rejected by the Klaxmill Owners' Association, who advised the men to lay their case before Iho Arbitration Court.

Speaking to a member of the staff in the office of a large llaxmilling concern in Palmerston North on Saturday, a reporter was informed that at present the men are working under an agreement, not ratified by the Court, which provides for a rale of pay iully 100 per eeul. higher than that covered in the las!

award. though that whs on ii prev.iir standard, and could Inii'dly 1)0 considered willr reference to, pi'osenl diiy rides. The present elaim. lie Siiid. was on a scale that would, it granted, veinrn the employees about another Us a week each, similar to (lie bonus recently granted by the Arbitration Court. U was cxplained that the ilaxinill workers had not made a claim lor this bonus foi the reason that tbeir last award was of such long standing, and Ibai they had not one struck by the Court under the present conditions. To apply tor the bonus through the Court, Ihe men would necessarily have to have iin award struck first. This the Ilaxinill owners advised them to do, and the present position has. arisen in consequence.

In terms of this non-ratilied agreemenl operating at present the minimum rate oil pay tor unskilled dav labour is 15s Od peiylay, and for a horse driver .C 4 lls'per week. Those under the former head are, of course, subject to lost time through adverse weather, conditions or other circumstances affecting (he progress of work at the mill-. Oiu informant also gave particulars of I lie rates of pay in other clashes of the various types id' work undertaken in a Ilaxinill. Men on automatic scutching, he said, received i7s to His a ton, dependent on the number of pressers, and were able to make an average of .0(1 to U a week. Hand scutchers were also on piece work, receiving Jls (Id per ton, and their average''weekly earnings were on a par with those engaged on the. automatic process. Paddocking was done under a contract system at the rate of 33s per ton in the summer lime, and 3bs per ton in the winter. The contractors paid their assistants Its to IBs per day. For cutting, Bs (id,a ton was allowinl. and, he said, a critter would get through tons or more a dav in average flax. According to the agreement, o-ur informant went on, a feeder was provided for at the rate of 16s per day, and a strip-per-keeper at IBs (id. but nearly all of them received an extra shilling.

Accommodation is provided at all the mills, and 24s a week is the amount agreed upon for board.