WON'T WORK AND WON'T LEAVE

Chronicle (Levin), 20 September 1946, Page 7

WON'T WORK AND WON'T LEAVE

-Press Associalion

STRIKERS WANT TO SEE MR. JONES

By Telegraph—

AUCKLAND, Hcpt. 19. ] vSteps to, release abtlut 400 men from i the Royul New Zeaiand' Air Force began , at the three Aucklaiid stations today. A large number of men who had been : un strike since Tuesday for a 40-kour, , live-day week, declined either to return ' to work or to accept the ofler from ihe Air Department of the tennination oi : their engagement. Although certam ; .'ormalilios had been completod tonight. : ,lie men in general were deeliniug to j undertake elearanco formaiities anu ' some amiouhcod their intention oi remaining on their stations until repre sentations made lo the Minister of De- ; fence, H011. F. Jones, had been ansvver- , ed. No clearances were eomploted to- ( day. | lnstruclions that the airmen who re- 1 t'used to work or to hand in their uames ■ I'or release, were nevertheless to be re- ; leased by sttition eommanders, were re ceived from the Air Department in tlie ' afternoon. The department has autlior . ised station eoinnianders to solect those ' whoui they consider suitable for reten •' tion. 'Ihe adniinistrative stadV at Whenuapai, Hobsonville and Mechaiucs May, iinmediately began eheeking Ihe rolls and preparations were made to pay ; the airmen, accept their kit and send • them on leave I'or seven days. It was , planned to have them medieally exaniined and X-rayed later. At the .stations . where the strikers refused to hand 111 their name for release and where it was 1 necessary to invoke special authority to-. release them, the adniinistrative stulls were kept jnirticularly busy beeause oi ihe eoniplicated positiun. A deiiiiite , statcinent of the numbers involved was , not available tonight. It was believed, t huwever, that at Whenuajiai, there j would be a maximum of 195 released j from the station strengtli of 570, witli | ihe possibility that by tomorfow niorn- , ing some oi the men luiglit have j ehanged their minds. Hobsonville ua- j tieipated less than 100 releases out of 320 all ranks, and at Mechanics Bav, [ there were signs that 100 men from Ihe I station strengtli of 375 would be re- j leased. Group Captain Hunter, speaking as ■ senior Air Force offieer in Auckland, t said many airmen to be released were ! reeent enlistments, there being a small- ; er number of men who had seen service during the war. No Waafs had sought J release. ; The following telegram was sent to Hou. F. Jones by the strikers at j Meehanics Bay: — "The Air Department is attemptmg to force airmen into resigning from the service. Mechanics Bay airmen request and demand your presene.e and explanation why men were lured inlo the service undor false pretenees. With regard to Air C'oimnodore Wallingford, Mechatiies Bay airmen were not given Ihe ehance to see or hear him. If 110 satisfaetory explanation is forthcoining the position will remain as it has been over the last two days." — ■ , . ► |