Heavy Polling In Waterside Elections

Chronicle (Levin), 9 February 1948, Page 5

Heavy Polling In Waterside Elections

Press Association )

| (Per

WELLINGTON, Feb. 7. In wliat is evidently the heavmst poi I in ihe history of the New Zeaiand Waterside Workers ' Fnion, there is every indication that the present ua tional secretary (Alr. T. Hill) will be returned to oftice with a handsonu majority. Extraordinary interest, reaching fai iieyottd the "trade uuion movement, has iieen taken in the election, which hareceived publicitv in Australia, where the contest has been described as otu of vital ' concern to the Gov6rnmen' and. the Labour Party. ' i i Some coiiimentato'rs have seen the election as a struggle between the ihclependent actlons and poiicies of the trade union movement — an independonce which .Mr. Hill in association with the national president of the union (Mr. H. Bariies) has affirmed— and the political Labour movemenb which has .heen closely watching the outcome. The offieial results will not be known for more than a week. However, where the local results have already been advised to members of the union, ! oue is able to assess that AH\ Hill may ( have a majority of 800 yotes in a poi] approaehing 5500 over his opponent, Alr. J. E. Napier, walking delegate oi the Wellington Waterside Workers' Union. Significant Reslilts. Politically and industrially partieulal importance has been attached to the deeisions in Greymouth, where Alessrs. Hill and Paritea have lately been accused by tlie Labonr paper the Grey River Argtis, of having used any pretext, for many months past, fo embarrass the Labour Government. and in

Wellington, where there was a testing meetiiig, addressed by Aressrs Hill and Napier, on the eve of the election. Advice. from Greymouth shows that the watersiders there, in spite of the Labour paper As critieism of Air. Hill during the election eampaign, have voted nearly three to one in favour of Alr. Hill. By Thursday night it was knoWn in Wellington thkt, in a poi! of about 1400, represeilting. prhctically all tht unionists on "the waterfront on election day, Atr. Hill had reeeived a majoritt of about 370. Reports from Auckland, Lyttelton Dunedin, and Pott Chalmeis indicate that Alr. -Ilill has received clear ma jorities at those ports. It js estimatecl from the various soUrces that the re turua 'will give Alr. Hill a deeisiVe Vic toiy. it is-repofted alsjo from New Ply tnonth, Napier and Wanganui tliat Mr Hill has been extremely well support ed. j