UNION DEMANDS PUBLIC APOLOGY FROM LICENSEE

Grey River Argus, 5 October 1948, Page 7

UNION DEMANDS PUBLIC APOLOGY FROM LICENSEE

NAPIER, October 4.

A public apology is demanded by the Hawke’s Bay branch of the Hotel and Restaurant Workers’ Union to statements made by Mr James Clifford Bolger, licensee of the Caledonian Hotel, Napier, at the recent inquiry into allegations made by Bolger against the Napier police. Hotel workers took, strong exception to Mr Bolger’s reported remarks, which were considered a gross reflection on their integrity. In an interview with the “Southern Cross”, the secretary of the Hawke’s Bay branch of the union, Mr W. J. Walton, referred to press reports quoting Mr Bolger as saying: “If my experience is any criterion, 90 percent. of kitchen and porter staffs engaged in hotels in New Zealand have had some conviction at some time oiother”. With few exceptions, members of the union in this district had taken a grave view of this unwarranted and defamatory slur made upon their character, said Mr Walton. They considered the executive should invite Mr Bolger to apologise to them through the press, and, if hd was not nrepared to do so, they should recommend that the executive should enforce some form of disciplinary action upon him. Mr Walton said Mr Bolger had been officially associated with the licensed trade only since he took over the Caledonian Hotel 14 months ag °For him to have the effrontery to suggest that 90 per cent, of kitchen and porter staffs all over the Dominion have had some conviction at some time will raise a hue and cry far and wide”, he said. “Members elsewhere will doubtless echo the feelings of those employed in the industry in Hawke s Bay who, with other members in New Zeaand, render an outstanding service to the travelling and general public , said Mr Walton.