WATERFRONT COMMISSION

Chronicle (Levin), 21 May 1947, Page 6

WATERFRONT COMMISSION

WATERSIDE UNION'S DEGREE OF REPRESENTATION WELLINGTQN, May 20. The national executive ihe'mbers of. the New Zeai'and Waterside Workers Union are already reporting to branches on consultations with the Government on tho degree of union representation upon a reeonstituted Waterfront Industry Commlssion and activity may be completea within thc ■next week, , The national secretary of the union, Mr. T. Hxll, said before he left . Wellington today for Auckland . = that a meeting of the executive would . be called to consider the opiniohs expressed by the branches. It was .doubt* ; ful whether it would be possible to hold' the executive meeting _ before the anuual conferenee of the New Zealand Federation of Labour, opening in Wcl ; lington on June B. The national presi ; dent of the union, Mr. H. Barnes, oi Auckland, and Mr. Hill, are -to leuvo - by air for Australia tomorrow. . Despite the controversy whieh hak1 been begun, ' in his opinion by the: Minister of Labour, Mr. McLagan, Mt . Hill said he did not anticipate a continuation especially when the twc waterside officials who had boen con, spicuously attacked, were on the point of leaving New Zealand. They would not be in a position to answer. effeetive ly. The affairs of the union were, how- • ever, being left in capable han'ds. Thc acting president would be Mr. Alexan der Drennan, of Auckland, and f.hf acting secretary, Mr. E. J. O'Donnell. of Wellington, who has assisted Mr HUI since his recent aceident. In Australia, said Mr. Hill, economie and politieal questions as they were seen by the union, would be discussed with the president of the Australian Waterside Workers' Federation, Mr, J Lonergan, and secretary, Mf. J. Healy and methods of strengthening the bonds between the waterside orgauisations oi ■ the two countiies would be cousidered The delegates were membors of a joiui Australian-New Zealand executive whieh was formed in 1945 to deeide, mutual policy. ' There was now the wider issue oi organising a conferenee of waterside delegates from various Pacific coun tries. Mr. Harry Bridges, the long ■ shoremen's leader on the Americaii Pacific coast, desired an early conferenee and the New Zealand union thought July or August would be a suitable time. Mr. Bridges was, not opposed to Auckland as tlie .venue but the meeting place could well be Honolulu or San Francisco. Delegates fron United States, the Soviet Union, Aus tralia, Canada, Mexico, China, New . Zealand and Indonesia would be invit ed. A common policy or unity would ' be the objective but the form of the intended organisation would have to bt diseussed.