Freezing Dispute

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 23, 28 January 1937, Page 7

Freezing Dispute

1 Terms of Settlement Before Dairy Conference

SURPRISE FOR MINISTER Per Press Association. WHANGAREI, Jan. 27. The full report of the proceedings at the conference held in Wellington last week in connection with the freezing works dispute was submitted to a conference of North Auckland dairy companies in Whangarei yesterday, by Mr A. J. Sinclair, secretary-manager of the Te Awarautu Co-op Dairy Company, who was present at Wellington as one of the representatives of the dairy industry. Mr Sinclair said that he had obtained a verbatin report of the proceedings, but they were confidential and could aqt be released for publication. He commented, however, that at one stage of the proceedings the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, had lost his temper and found that he could not impose his will on the employers’ representatives. The Minister would probably be one of the most surprised men in New Zealand when ho found that that had been reported in black and white.

With Mr Sinclair at the Wellington conference were Mr R. H. McKenzie, chairman of th© New Zealand Dairy Company, representing the dairy industry, which was vitally interested in the dispute, and Mr. Cullen, of Maungaturoto, who was also a director of the Freezing Company. Mr. Sinclair said that in the Waikato the effect of the “stay-in” strikes was becoming so serious that it was decided that if a settlement was not reached the factories would have to close on the 20th of the month. The invitation lor the representatives of the dairy industry to attend had been extended at the last minute, and it was very satisfactory that they had been invited, 33 the dairy companies were the people who had to fc»t the bill, and the farmers had to pay. It was something that they were allowed to have some say m th© settlement of the questions. He also referred to a meeting of dairy suppliers held in Hamilton on Saturday right and at which a number of resolutions were passed, and on the motion of Mr S. W. Smith (Bay of Islands) these were endorsed. Mr Smith said that it was obvious that either the award should be observed or the Arbitration Court abolished.