DAIRY FACTORIES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 136, 9 May 1940, Page 11

DAIRY FACTORIES

TRAINING ASSISTANTS, MAJOR PROBLEM DISCUSSED. Dairy factory managers and others attending the factory managers gathering at Massey College discussed, yesterday, the education of dairy factory workers and the provision of inducements that will keep the best men in the industry. The matter was raised by Mr J. McDonald (Cheltenham Dairy Coy.), who spoke as chairman of the Factory Managers’ Registration Board. Ho said many men had come forward for managers’ certificates -who lacked both the practical and technical experience which was available at Massey College. He wondered if some scheme could •be evolved from within the industry itself to assist these applicants to get their certificates. It was sometimes a costly matter for an assistant to leave his job to attend the college course and then be faced with little hope of getting up higher when he acquired the requisite knowledge. The opportunity of advancement was not great. Perhaps something might be done by the Dairy Board, as the result would benefit the industry. MEASURING EXPERIENCE. Professor W. ltiddet, director of the Dairy Research Institute, said it had been the unfortunate lot of the Registration Board to examine a number of unfortunate candidates. AVliat could they do with a man who had never tested milk or had only had a shot at it once or twice? he asked Some were inclined to view years of experience as ample qualification, but experience could not bo moasured in terms of years'in a factory. It was no use helping a man who would only be a “passenger” ill the .industry. Further, many boys in factories were denied the necessary experience required for qualification. If these lads were going to learn it should be possible to devise some scheme to assist them and it would benefit the industry in years to come. A man desiring to be a manager should also be familiar with t\e business side of the industry. Sir Sinclair (Opotiki) said any effort made should bo confined to the men showing enterprise. One of 1 the greatest weaknesses in the educating of the young assistant was that the managers themselves did not take sufficient 'interest in them. They were inclined to keep them on the one task. He wondered what steps had been taken in other industries to help the learners and if anything could be learnt from those practices. Mr E. Melton, of the Dairy Division, agreed that it was tho financial difficulty that prevented many young men from attending the 1 Massey ''College course. He instanced a factory with three young men, two -of whom showed possibilities and could not attend, yet the third whom he described as a failure, had been able to go. Other speakers agreed that an impediment was the way managers kept tho lads at the one task in the factory. It was further contended that only men who showed prospects of achieving something should he assisted.

Mr Ward (Rcxdalc) declared that the young men offering their services to-day were not of the same class as in years gone by. Tliero was unionism which had the tendency to make the men not quite so useful. Hours were restricted and tho. men worked “to the clock.” Ho thought the assistants should bo trained at Masscv College before they went to the factories. Professor R bidet said that at one tinie they did take inexperienced students, but the young men ran up against, difficulties in'the second and third years because of lack of experience.

It wan decided to recommend the Dairy Board .to make available bursaries to selected candidates for the college course. Discussing the question of the prospects of the men in the ■ industry, several speakers declared there were none even when they secured their diplomas.

Oim suggestion advanced to meet this situation was the establishment of a superannuation scheme. As the subject was regarded as too big a one to decide impromptu, it was resolved to get managers to submit ideas ill writing to the Registration Board.

The discussion concluded by Professor Riddet urging the need for managers giving assistants as much experience as possible in every department of a factory.