FREEZING DISPUTE

Wairarapa Age, 15 February 1927, Page 5

FREEZING DISPUTE

THE ARBITRATION HEARING. DEMAND BY WORKERS. TEN PER CENT. WAGE INCREASE. The hearing of the Dominion Freezing Workers’ Dispute opened in the Arbitration Court at Wellington yesterday. Mr. Justice Frazer presided. The workers were represented by Messrs W. E. Sill (Auckland) and F. C. Ellis (Christchurch), and the employers by Messrs F. V. Sanderson, for the companies; G. C. Wilkins, secretary of the South Island Freezing Companies’ Association; and J. Milne, chairman of the New Zealand Freezing Companies’ Association. Air. Sill outlined the workers’ claims. Tho principal of these was/for an allround increase of ten per cent. in wages. Air. Sill contended that such an increase was justified with reference both to standards of living and the position of the industry. The main difficulties of the industry, he said, had been created by an unwarrantable increase in the number of establishments and over-capitalisation. The capital invested, including bank overdrafts, had grown from £1,191.511 in 1914 to £4,821,513 in 1924, but the increase did not give increased output. Air. Sill contended also that excessive prices had been paid in some cases for stock. He said that the increases asked for were relatively small and that the effect on profitable companies -would be negligible. Evidence was heard in support of the claims .

A statement, in which Mr. W. .J. Polson tendered evidence on behalf of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, appears in another column.