SOUTHLAND SAWMILL WORKERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 70

SOUTHLAND SAWMILL WORKERS.

MEETING OF WORKERS. (From Our. Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, August 29. At a meeting of the committee of the Southland Workers' Union on Saturday evening, the matter of the failure of a miller at Catlins to pay his men on the date prescribed by the award was discussed. The secretary had reported the matter to the Inspector of Awards in Dunedin, and a communication from the latter was before the meeting to the effect that the Inspector of Factories had visited the mill, and found that there were extenuating circumstances. The miller had been pushed at the time, and had asked the men if they would wait for a fortnight, and they had agreed rather than have the mill closed. Under the circumstances, it was not thought advisable to take action. The Secretary (Mr O'Byrne) stated that this miller had caused a great deal of trouble in the the particular matter of paying his men within the prescribed time, and there was continual complaint from the men. He considered it unfair to the other millers to keep them up to the award, and to let this man do as he pleased. In the ensuing discussion the feeling was expressed that the union had no desire to sec the award administered so as to press harshly on any miller, but it was considered necessary that Mie union should see that no miller gained an unfair advantage over his competitors by consistently evading the payment responsibilities that w«re honestly met by the others. It was regretted that the secretary had not accompanied the inspector to Catlins, as the reports of these two officers did not altogether coincide. Eventually it was decided to inform the Inspector of Awards that the Southland committee was of opinion that the provisions of the award phoulJ be complied with in thih as in every other case. The Secretary, in reporting on his month's work, stated that the proposed new agreement submitted by the employers had been placed by him before the workers at a number of the western "district mills, and the latter did not view it at all favourably. The contributions received during the month hacl amounted to £40. During the last three months the contnbutions had totalled about £120. bringing the amount for the present year up to something like £277. He expected that the receipts iD contributions at the end of the year would be something over £400, a figure quite beyond what had been anticipated, and better than the union had ever done before. The financial position was therefore a very strong one. He was enrolling new members on each month's visit to the mills, and last month had added 15 to the li^