SHOULD BE DISCIPLINED

Chronicle (Levin), 4 June 1947, Page 6

SHOULD BE DISCIPLINED

-Press Assoeiation

WATERSIDERS CALL MR. SEMPLE TO ORDER

Bv Tetearavfi-

WELLINGTON, June 3. An interesting sidellght on the Wanganella' affair is now given by a report that a motion recently came before a stop-work nieeting of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Unibn asserting that the Minister of Works (Mr. Semple) should be ' ' disciplined 'and removed from the Cabinet. ' ' It was reeommended by the nnion executive that the motion should be endorsed, and that a similar protest should: be-made against the New Zealand High Commissioner in London (Mr. Jordan). The motion referring to Mr. Semple is described as a protest against attacks made on the federal secretary of tha Australian Seamen's Union (Mr. Eliot V. Elliott) during the Wanganella dispute. It is recalled that a similar eomplaint against Mr. Semple was made by the .Seamen's Union in Australia. Mr. Semple replied to the effect that he was unmoved by the eritieism, and that he was satisfied to leave it to the pnblic to judge the merit of his. serviees. The union eomplaint against Mr. Jordan referred to the High Commissioner 's remarks at the launching th.e Haparangi, on the Clydeside. Mr. Jordan then said there was a proper machinery for settling industrial troubles in New Zealand. Expressly referring t'q waterfront hold-ups, and the delays in forwarding food supplie's to' Britain, he stated: "Watersiders may have legitimate grievances, and are entitled to try to settle their disputes. But to impose further suffering upon needy Britain is not the way to do it. " At the time, the Press committee of the Wellington branch of the Waterside Workers' Union issued a reply to the High Commissioner. '• The union opinions concerning Messrs Semple and Jordan have now been published in the official journal of the Federated Waterside Workers, and they have attracted soine attention. They are considered to give further point to the differenees which developed between the Government and the union during the waterfront trouble several months ago, and which were emphasised by the recent controversy between the Minister of Labour (Mr. McLagan) and national officials of the union. The Australian Seamen's Union denunciation of Mr. Semple said his "anti-working ciass statements would expose liim for what he really was — a reactionary of the lirst order." Mr. Semple retorted that the charge would cause him no lo'ss of sleep. The people of New Zealand could judge whether he were a " reactionary," or otherwise. He was their servant, and 'not the tool of a elique in Australia or elsewhere. " "It is," said Mr. Semple, "characteristic of this type of individual to brand as a ' reactionary ' or ' scab ; anyone who dares to differ from them. "No man with an opinion of his own would be permitte/1 to speak if this type of individual had control of the desr. tinies of a country. " ' •