Prime Minister Replies To Mr. Barnes

Chronicle (Levin), 21 April 1948, Page 3

Prime Minister Replies To Mr. Barnes

Press AssociationJ

(Per

WELLINGTON, April 20. "Mr. Barnes limps back into the diseussion with the fond but overoptiinistic hope that he ean make. people credit the ineredible and aecept any-' tliing, ' ' said the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, when eommenting on the latest statement by the president of the Auckland braneh of the New Zeaiand Waterwide Worlcers ' TJnion. "But, un'fortunately for his purpose, he is badly off the beain once more, particularly in regara to the history of the alleged unapproachable bureau elerk and eonsequent impossibility of replaeing the Yugoslavs' non-union gang at I p.m. on the day in question. " Mr. Fraser said he was informed that there was . no record that the bureau staff at Auckland liad knowledge of any approach being made by the . union 's walking delegate, to replace the Yugoslavs with union labour. In fact, the reverse was the position. The union's walking delegate had informed the head stevedore at 9 a.hi. that wliile the .gang of regular- non-unionis-ts was to be replaced by union labouV at 1 p.m., the Yugoslavs were not to be replaced. When the bureau clerk visited the vesscl at 9.30 a.m. to replace the regular iioiuuiiion gang, ihe union tiinekeoper eniployed on the vessel advised liim tliat the Yugoslavs were not to be replaced by union labour at 1 p.m. "In face of tliese facts, Mr. Barnes7 oflorts to cover up the condoniug and engineering of tliis breach of the prcference clause in favour of the Yugoslavs and the Connnunist ship, as against union men, by talking about a ciaim for wages, is just wealt . blulT, ' ' Mr. Fraser stated.. Referring to Mr. Barnes' statement that the good work performed by the Yugoslavs in loading wool was due to the einploynient of substantially more men tlian the 23 normally comprising a lohfling gang, was uot correet. There were only 24 men eniployed on the lirst day with an addilional tliree spare men on Ihe Saturdav morning and the employinent of ihis number was not uiiusual. Mr. Barnes had refcrred to tlie Yugosluv cap^iuu's complaint as to the s))eed of workmanship, Mr. Fraser said. Mnnv British captains liad coinplained in siniilar terms l>ut as far as he could ascertaiu, 110 union oHicers in Auckland had rushed to tlieir assistauce as tliey had done in the case of the Communist ship. • It was not too late for tliein to get liusy in fliis laudable direction.