MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

Chronicle (Levin), 13 May 1947, Page 5

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

Received Mondav, 8.45 p.m. CANBERRA, May 12. "If a black ban is • placed on tho I'onstruction of the rocket range iii Central Australia we will deal with thc difficulty as it arises, " said the Minis ter of Postwar Reconstruction, Mr Dedman, today. "Work on the' range is vital to the defence of the Empire." The experiments, he said, would in volve a -Works programme of considcrabl'e dimensions" but a cletailed analysis would not be presented to Cabinet fof Some little tinie. Mtteh of the work to' be undcrtaken, such as aerodroiiie construction, would not interf'ere with the housing programme as neither buiiding materials nor buiiding labour would be 'engaged on such type's of work. If was" pOssible that R.A.A.P. aerodrome construction units would be employed 011 buiiding air strips as was the case during the war. Already the Fecteral Councii of the Painters' Union has-'passed a resoltition placing a black ban on the rangcs and Cie Buiiding Trades Federation in \Telbourne, which is a group of eight •mions, has cteci'ded. to recommend all affiliated unions to declafe black all Work associated with the range tests. Union officiais in Sydney say that it Is apparent that the Communists intend to launch a niajor campaign against the -ange tests. "For the Communists to talk about the materials used in the rocket . ranges being bettqr employed in frailding. honses is just hypoeriSy, ' ' said one officiai. "They are out to sabotage these tests, beeause that is what their Moscow bosses ivant, This plan is the first step in the policy of sabotftge. Every intelligent worker should ask himself what would happen to the worker if he tried to sabotage Similar tests WhiCh . no doubt are being carried out ip. Russia."