FLAXMILLS CLOSING.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 March 1919, Page 5

FLAXMILLS CLOSING.

' HIGH FREIGHTS AND LABOR TROUBLES. Palmerston N-, March 5. At the end of this week all the flaxmills in the Mauawatu are scheduled to close down, and at least 700 men will be thrown out of employment. Thi posi* tion in which ilaxmillers g-onarally throughout tho Dominion now find themselves on account of the phenomenally high wartime freight rates not being appreciably reduced is accentuated in tho Manawatu :by serious labor troubles. But for this additional source of worry it is stated in 3ome quarters that tho mills might still.be maintained after the end of the week on a reduced output. Many of the men have been earning £ I a day and more, which fact was recently made the subject of comment by Mr. Justice Chapman in the Supremo Court. They are apparently not satisfied with this high rnte of remuneration, and the employers are, it would appear, determined not to be browbeaten into paying more. Some few weeks ago it became generally known that trouble had arisen between Temukamii flaxmill proprietors and their employees- The men asked for a rise of Is per ton in the price for cutting flax, bringing it up to 13s- Many of these men were earning £0 to £lO a week, and not having to work late hours to accomplish this. The mill owners rcfussd to pay the increase, and the mill had to he elo=>ed down.

It had been previo\islv announced that the mills in tlio district would close on February '2B. Just before that date the Flnxmillers' Association decided to keep runnint;, and there has been no cessation. Now, howevei, largely it is understood on account of what they consider the unreasonable attitude of labor, th« mills will bo closed down at the end of this week indefinitely. The men havo offered to have a committee set up, in which they would have three representatives and the employers a like number, to po into the dispute, the decision of the committee to be accepted aa binding on both parties, and in the event of their failing the matter to be referred to an independent arbitrator, whose docision would be final. So far, however, the employers have not replied to this.