Carpenters' Reply To Prime Minister's Statement

Chronicle (Levin), 23 February 1948, Page 5

Carpenters' Reply To Prime Minister's Statement

Press Assoctatio%l

(Per

' CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 22, "The Prime Minister1 undoubtefliy PAt his flngefi w % very sigj\jfle^t !%«* qfl thi^ and in qfhyr l^boi\r di^Rnt^S,. vyh'en he e$i{l 'I do npt "believe jRkt/ yesterday's decision pi the eo-uneil; of ithe Federation' of Laboifr is a true vAfleetipfl pf opjuiPA fthd tfee. ftttifqd© the fejerfitiop as a wFqle>,' " ?a,id the president o"f the New Zeaiand parppntefs' Union, Mr. F. L. Langley, today. Mr. Langley was replying t-p the statement wade by Mt- Frasev and pub|islie! on Saturday. ' ' The Prime Minister does not ■ believe it mprely beeaqsp he does not want to b.Plieve it, ' 3 Mn Langley_ continued. "-Ue do.es not Wftnt ;tp " b.Plieve R bepanse. he and' his goyernment have bpftome sp far divpreed from the nppds and aspiratip,ns' of the worlting pep.pl e of the country that they ai/e hlind to tRe mai situation ptf the \yprlcers. AU the cpuneil . rpf prred to l)y the Pyintp Minister, a respjntipn was aiso carried ftsktng fo.r an 0,v/er%nl of the regiilatipns to ailo,\y fp.r further application o,n the ground that oqr prespnt wages are ' of no more yahie tlian tyhpn we reeeived £3. to" f-f a weelt, i)oe§ the Primp Minister infer also that this decision of the' council, which was unanimous, is not a 'true reflectiQn o.f the opinion and attitude of tlre federatip.n as a whoie'f If so he is again closing his eyes to the real positioh. ' ' The Carpenters ' Union resorted' to the present t-acties only. after ev'ery other means of obtaining justiee had failed," said Mr. Langley. ■ ' Is tho law of this country so. frawed as to deny the wovkers the demperatie right lo light for justice with the only mpaiyat their disposal, i.e., their lab.p.iir power?- If so our democratic institution is in grave d.angev and rpquires, the vttention of afl believers in democracy. "The Prime ifinisfer's referenee to the wprkers in t-ho (lispute as being pawns in a biggey game5, is designed tpsfaU o,n the eaf-s of fools. How the Pi'ime JNLnister can st-riously lfpk a just claim by New Zpaland carpenteys and joiners for an iiu'rease in wages ..uuouuting to, 5,s a week, and the uiethods used in tliis connpction, with what he c-alls ' worldwide C'ommunist tactics of disruption leaves far too much to the imagination of the people and exposes his poHtical bankruptcv. "The present policy in the dispute was decided on at a mass meeting of carpenters and joihers held in tha Civic Theatre, Christchurch," said Mr. Langley in conclusion. "•Associated ' with . us in the dispute are men weli knowh in the political Labour movement as having no sympathy whatever with. communism. It is not to the credit of the Prime Minister that he uses a Tory red herriug to divert the workers from the real issue at stake, namely, an increase in wages for c.arpentevs and joiners.."