TRADESMEN FROM AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 145, 15 March 1939, Page 10

TRADESMEN FROM AUSTRALIA

Thirty-seven Arrive By Wanganella

WORK ON GOVERNMENT

CONTRACTS

Thirty-seven Australian building tradesmen, 'brought to New Zeirland by the Government, arrived at Wellington by tlie Wanganella yesterday. AMth them were several other tradesmen who came independently. The arrivals are nearly all young single men, carpenters, painters amd bricklayers. Most of them come from Sydney, but others are from the country, aiid some of those who have come independently have their homes as far awav as Perth. Tlie men were met bv officers of the Labour Department aiid are to be allotted to various Government contracts about Wellington. Some of the mon said that attempts had Ibeen made by representatives ot the Labour Department, in New South Wales and by the Premier to persuade [hem not to come to New Zealand. They had signed agreements to remain in New Zealand working for the Government for 12 months, paying lor their passages'to New. Zealand at the rate of 10/- a week. No undertaking to pay their return fare had been given. A carpenter said that weekly wages in New Zealand were lower than in Australia, and lie doubted the advantage in coming when he realized the amount by which New Zealand wages would be reduced by union levies, taxes and perhaps wet weather. (Picture on Page 7.)

TWENTY-SIX ARRIVALS AT AUCKLAND Welcome By Mr. J. A. Lee By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, March 1-1. Twenty-six Australians arrived by the Awatea from .Sydney to work under the State housing .scheme. More than 20 oilier men and women of various occupations also arrived by the Awatea io seek work. They were not brought over by the Government. The men’s callings range from farming to iron and steel work. Four women included a waitress, a tuiloress, a bookkeeper and a canister-maker. No difficulty is expected in placing the skilled, workers. Except for an electrician who is being sent to Wellington, all the Government men will start work tomorrow on local housing contracts. “It is not because tlie workmen in New Zealand are not good Hurt you are arriving today; it is because the good workmen we have have put tlie Labour Government into power and given it a big job to do,” said Mr. .1. A. Lee, Parliamentary Under-i Secretary in charge of Housing, when welcoming the tradesmen in the Awatea. He added that they would 'be teaming in witli a fine body of New Zealand tradesmen. Welcoming the Australians as good tradesmen and unionists, Mr. Kennerley, secretary of the Carpenters’,Union, said that at the moment things were not over-busy in Auckland because of a temporary slackening in commercial building. However, there would be no difficulty in placing tradesmen. “The Government has a big job on hand, and the greatest problem has been finding good tradesmen,” said Mr. H. Campbell, secretary of tlie Painters’ Union council.