SEQUEL TO CARPENTERS' GO-SLOW POLICY

Chronicle (Levin), 5 March 1948, Page 5

SEQUEL TO CARPENTERS' GO-SLOW POLICY

Press -Association)

(Per

mv ^ W1, ... , ' WELLINGTON, March 5. / . , 5^ puiolic gallery of the inafti courtroom in the MagisMa es Couit was packed today, when two informatioris against each of three officials qf the Wellington and Hutt Valley Carpenters' and Joiners' Union were set down for learing. All the charges related to the go-slow policy of carpenters m the distriet. - '

Mr. W. R. Birks, prosecuting,' said that a meeting of .the Wellington and-. Hutt Valley, .Carpenters' and J6ineJs,.. 17' and a pam'phlet signed by E. L. Tregoweth and iames Laidlaw-. had ied io the charges of incitement to strike and procurement of a strike against the first defendant. Ernest Lionel Tregoweth, secre- ' tary of the -Wellington and Hutt Valley Carpenters' and Joiners' Union, was charged that on or about February 17 he procured a strike within the meanin'g "of the term, as defined in the Strikes and Lockout Eniergency Regulations, 1939, and alsb that he incived members of the union to strike. Evidence would relat-e to the award governing the employment of carpenters -and joiners in the Wellington and Hutt Valley, said Mr. Birks, showing that a stopwbrk meeting pn Februqry i7 was a strike and illegal. The uhioh members had not attended their

wprk as usual. Eric George Flack, a builder, gave evidence that on February 18 one of his employees, a carpenter, had hande'd hirn a pamphlet. Mr C. H. Arnd,t, for "defendant, objected to the admission of this evidence. The objection was noted. Continuing, witness said 'that only six of his ten 'carpenters had worked on the mor-ning of February 17. Three h-ad turned up ih ihe afternoon and bne next morning. He had lost half a day's value of work as a result. Cfoss-examined, witness. said his jobs had been delayed from time to time by a shorta-ge bf materials. Walter Hhearer.j a director of Upion and Shearer Constructions, ■Ltd., said his eompany employed about 24 members of the Carpenter's Union. On the morhing of February 1% some of his carpenters were absent. A reason was given him for their absehce. He was shown -a typewritten leaflet similar to the one prodUced. The absefices definitely delayed construction for that day to the extent of four hours work for •eaeh' man absent.

Ernest J ack Upton, a master builder, , and a co-director of the previous witness, said that'op February' 11 he was on a building jpb - at Taita. Molineaux had approached witness during the moming. He ; knew Molineaux as Wellington dis- i trict organiser of . the Carpenters' ■ Union. • ■ Mr. Arndt objected to the Crown leading* evidence about a pamphlet, and Mr. Birks said he would not press the matter. ■ . ' On February 17, con'tinued witness, no work was done|on that job during the moming owing to the labsence of the seven 'carpenters engaged. ' The case is proceeding.