THE FLAXMILING DEADLOCK.

Shannon News, 21 August 1928, Page 3

THE FLAXMILING DEADLOCK.

PRIME MINISTER’S ANXIETY.

A special general meeting of the N.Z. Flaxmillers ’ Association was held at Foxton on Thursday last, presided over by Mr C. 11.. Speirs (president). There w-ere also present. Messrs J. S. Moir, W. Nye, H. Seifert, II A. Seifert, Brown, Wm. Boss, H. Berry, F. . W. Wilson, Alf. Fraser,'Harper, G. Bough, and E. Sutton. At a previous meeting of the association the president was authorised to confer with the secretary of the Flaxmills Employees’ Union with the object of arriving at a basis of agreement to be submitted to both parties. The president placed before the meeting details of the interview with the secretary of the Flaxmills Employees’ Union, but stated that he had failed to arrive at any basis for further ■ negotiations with the .Union. LETTER FROM PRIME MINISTER. The following letter was received from the Prime Minister (Hon. J. G. Coates) and placed before the- meeting:— - • . “I have-recently been giving anxious ' consideration to the unfortunate position that has arisen in connection with the flaxmilling industry in the Manawatu district, and I understand that negotiations on the subject of the minimum wage that can fairly be borne by the industry in the present condition of the world’s markets have not y(jt. reached a successful conclusion. * In "the circumstances and in view of the importance of the industry not only to the workers and employers more particularly , concerned but. to the country as a whole I have, in consultation with the Hon. the Minister of Labour, decided to offer the services of the .Minister and myself in order to endeavour to arrive at an agreement.. I suggest therefore that, three representative employers concerned in the dispute might lie selected by your organization to meet a similar number of representative workers together with the Minister and myself in my office at Wellington at, say 10.30 a,m. on the 29th of ■ this’ monlb, and I should be greatly''obliged'if you could make it convenient to arrange accordingly. I should be glad to know at your early convenience whether this proposal meets with the approval of the employers concerned and y if so if you would advise me of the names of the delegates proposed.” MILLERS WILL ABIDE B 1 DECISION. It was resolved that a committee consisting of the president and Messrs Moir and Berry meet the Prime Minister and Minister of Labour on the date mentioned in the letter, and that any decision arrived at by the conference be accepted by the Association. From an informal discussion following the general business of the meeting it was evident that the outlook for the industry is exceedingly unfavourUNION APPROVES OF CONFERr ENOE. In conversation with Mr P. T. Robinson, secretary of the Flaxmills Employees’ Union, the Herald was informed that the Union is agreeable to the conference and that the President (Mr S. Anderson) and himself with one other delegate to be appointed at a meeting to be held next week will represent the union. The Mavor of Shannon (Mr E. Butt) wired, to the Prime: Minister yesterday pointing" out the serious position of local, unemployed asking if be could conveniently arrange for the conference to be * held earlier’than the date fixed. •