GOVERNMENT OFFER STILL STANDS

Chronicle (Levin), 6 July 1948, Page 5

GOVERNMENT OFFER STILL STANDS

Press. Assqciation)a

(Per

WELLINGTON, Julv 5. The f'ollowing telegrarti has been seni bv the Primfe Minister, Mr. Ffasfer, to Ari-. J. A. C. . Allum, Mayor of Auek land: "Blease accept my thanks t'o: vour telegram on last ev'ening, contaih ing proposals made to yon apparClitl by some officials of the Aticklah-1 branch of the Waterside Workers Union, in regard to the Mouiitpark dis pute. I have to state ih reply that th«offer made by the Minister of Laboui on May 26, which' was first aeeepted nneonditioUally by the unioii and then rejected some time latei', is still Open to the union. That offer was that "h tribunal should be set up tb inquii-c into and adjudicate on the facts and ihefits bf tlie dispute, its "decikion to be accepted as tinal. The tribunal would eonsist of a Rupreme Court Judge a,s„ chainnan, two representatives of the union, one representative of the Union Bteamship Company as employer, and ■mfe representative of the Watej-fronr Commission. The Government adheres to that offer. We consider it a inonqualified and competent "tribunal than aiiy ' well- known and respected citizen of Auckland7 could possibly be and its decision would be fairer and more satisfactory to all concerned. There was uo"t even a siiggestion of the Commission eiitering into any agreement m regard to the meelianieal handling of. hatches in relation to the prgsent dis pute. That statement is without any foUnflation in fact.77