TOO COLD

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 294, 6 August 1932, Page 5

TOO COLD

j KAINGAROA CLIMATE SINGLE MEN FIND COLD TQO SEVERE FOR PLANTING CEASE WORK IN BODY Unable to face the intense cold which prevailed on Thursday morn-*1"-* ing 29 State fonestry workers in a single men's camp on the Kaingaroa Pla'ins, struck work in a body and returned to their tents. When ordex*ed back to their job thej^rjgs^ fused to go and were discharged. The men were brought into Rotorua oy lorry yesterday afternoon, and paid xif in the borough councii yard. They xve said to have received the sum of 16/8 each, being payment for one .veek and four days' work. The State Forest office in Rotorua ,vas unable to make a stafement oil ;he position last night, hut the men are emphatic that the intense cold vas the sole reason for their cessa;ion of work. On Thursday morning the men went , xut on to the job,. but found the cold | so bad that they gave in at 10.30 a.m. ; and returned to camp without asking I permission from the foreman. I At lunch time, the men were inj /ormed that they had the opportun- ^ ity of returning to work or leaving I .he job — they decided to leave. As a ; .ustification for their complaint about S :he cold the men point out that snow ! began to fall at 2.45 p.m. They declare that in the morning it was so cold that it was impossible to handle the frozen trees. Not Agltation There is some sugges.ion that the itrike "was due to agitation, hut while .here may have been some talk among i few men there is no doubt that th'e jreat majority of them are anxious ,o keep their jobs. Beyond the terrfble ;old, they have no complaints to nalce about their lot. The camp is .'omfortable and the food good and xl.mtiful, but the cold of the plains las been a severe trial and Thursiay's experience was the limit. Meeting Held Last night the xnen held a meeting it the dosshouse and decided to make m appeal to the Conservatcr of Forjstry (Mr. W. T. Morriscr o take ,hem back in a body. The _ecretary )i the Rotorua Relief Workers' Asociation (Mr. H. Daniels) got in .ouch with the forestry office and nade this request on behalf of the nen. Mr. Morrison was reluctant to .ake all the men back, but he has igreed to meet delegates at 8.30 this norning and go into the question. A strong hope is expressffi in town Lat differences may be settleX be:ause the unemployment position in totorua is already acute, and an adlitional 20 workless men in town vould he a serious prohlem. For the time being, "all the men are xrovided with accommodation at the lcss-house and the Relief Workers' \ssociation has provided meat, hread and potatoes while business people have kindly donated tea and butter. About five of the men helong to Rotorua and the rest to Wellington.