WESTFIELD DISPUTE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 March 1942, Page 4

WESTFIELD DISPUTE

CHARGES AGAINST STRIKERS 213 MEN SENTENCED TO GAOL. A DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, March 23. Followed by mixed cheering and booing and shouts of “What about Hellaby?” sentence of one month’s imprisonment was passed today on men who had taken part in the strike which began on March 12 at the meat works of R. and W. Hellaby, Ltd., at Westfield. The cases were heard by Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall, which was packed inside throughout the day and attended outside by a large crowd which could not be admitted. Proceedings began at 10 a.m., and sentence was passed at 4 p.m. Two hundred and thirteen men were sentenced to one month’s hard labour, about 30 were fined £2, and informations against 116 others were either withdrawn or adjourned. GAOL NOT BIG ENOUGH. A dramatic development came at the end of a long and trying day when the charges against the Westfield strikers were heard. It was announced at about G o’clock by the police that the 213 men sentenced to a month’s hard labour would not go immediately to gaol but would be allowed to return to their homes on their word of honour that they would present themselves to undergo their sentences when called upon. As soon as the Court rose, Mr .H. Williams, president of the Freezing Workers’ Union, made expedition in search of paper and pencils so that the men under gaol sentence could write notes to their families. Five o’clock had come before the letterwriting was finished. The union obtained a number of taxis and the letters were not only delivered, but were also taken by fellow unionists. Toward 6 o'clock a police officer announced from the stage that he had an important communication to make. He said he was going to ask the men to give their words of honour to agree to the course he was going to suggest. At the gaol it had been found impossible to accommodate all of them that night, so it was proposed to let all go to their homes, conditional on their pledging themselves to present themselves to work out their sentences when called upon.

This was unanimously agreed to. The men were called up in batches of seven, required to sign a declaration, and were dispatched to their homes by all available conveyances, including taxis. Shortly after 7 o'clock the Concert Chamber was vacant again. DEADLOCK CONTINUES MORE VOLUNTEER LABOUR. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, March 23. ' No progress was made today toward a settlement of the dispute in the: freezing industry which enters upon its second week tomorrow with more than 1700 workers at the establishments of the Westfield Freezing Company, Ltd., and R. and W. Hellaby Ltd. still on strike. The deadlock which developed in the negotiations between the Federation of Labour on behalf of the workers and the company representatives on Saturday persisted throughout today. Reports on these discussions were presented at a meeting of workers in the Trades Hall at 9 a.m., which adjourned till the afternoon, but as about 300’ Hellaby workers were concerned in Court proceedings at the Town Hall the meeting was very brief and was further adjourned till tomorrow. ’With more volunteer labour offering at the Westfield Company’s works, there was an expansion of operations in several departments. Pigs, sheep and lambs and some cattle were killed and the boning of meat for the cannery was more extensive. Stock handled was from fresh consignments from the country. The company is repeating, its call for handy men able to use a knife, this being the most immediate need precedent to further expansion of production.