MAN REQUIRED FOR TWO INDUSTRIES

Southland Times, Issue 24821, 13 August 1942, Page 6

MAN REQUIRED FOR TWO INDUSTRIES

FARMING AND LINEN FLAX STACKING Claiming that the stacking of linen flax was a skilled job and that it was, in fact, a gift, the manager of the Winton linen flax factory, Mr L. C. Vicary, yesterday appealed against the direction of the district man-power officer that E. W. Sharp, a stacker employed by the factory, should be allowed to. terminate his employment and take a position managing a farm property. The appeal was heard by the Industrial Man-Power Committee at a sitting at Mataura. The committee reserved its decision.

Mr Sharp said that he had been farming all his life and that he was used to all types of farm work. The farm he had been appointed manager of was at present unattended, the owner, Mr J. L. Kennedy, being in camp. Mr Kennedy had not appealed against service. The witness had been at the factory for about two years and he was employed as a stacker. While stacking was not a job which could be done by everybody, he was of the opinion that there were other men employed at the factory who were quite capable of doing this class of work.

Mr Vicary said that stacking was one of the most skilled jobs at the factory. Big losses had resulted through faulty stacking and he would say that stacking was a gift. Mr Sharp had that gift and, in fact, his style had been adopted by farmers in the district, with the result that the standard of stacking throughout the district had shown a definite improvement. “In my opinion it is much easier to replace a stacker than it is to secure a competent man to manage a farm property such as the one under consideration,” said Mr S. C. Bingham, district man-power officer.

Mr Vicary said that had the owner of the property appealed his appeal would have been undoubtedly granted. He could be released from camp if necessary.