FARMERS' LOSSES ON WATERFRONT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 80, 21 April 1937, Page 7

FARMERS' LOSSES ON WATERFRONT

-Prejs Association.)

Probably £1,000,000 a Year, Says Mr W. J. Polson, M.P. 'INTOLERABLE POSITION'

(Bt Telegraph-

NEW PLYMOHTH, Last Night, "Tt is difficult to estimate the loss created by the waste and desttuction occurring on the Dominion 's wharves, but it probahly amounts to sometJung approaching £1,000,000,' ' said Mr. W. J, Bplson, M,P., commenting on the reimarks of Mr. G. C, G. Maclndoe, chairjman of ihe Auckland Harhour Board in lconnection with the alleged inefficiency |of the New Zealand waterside WQxlcers. 'No step had yet been taken by the Government, he said, to make pubiic its actions in connection with urgent representations made ou March 16 by thq iNew Zealand Primary and Ancillary Industries Producers' Council "to hald la publie inquiry immediately into the labour conditions upon the waterfrunt with a view to a reduction and removal of the waste and national losses now jbeing ipcufred. "So far there has been uo xesponse to the demand for an inquiry," said Mr. ipolson in detailing the sitUatiou as. seen hy the PrQducers' Council^ of ■which hq is chairman, "Does any sigjnificance attach to the fact that siuce jthe demand was made the most poweriful figure in the waterfront labour wrga(nisation, Mr. James Roberts, secretary to the Waterside Workers' Federation of Kew Zealand, hks been triumphantly elected president of the New Zealand Labour Baxty?" Farmers who had seen, their" costs steadily xising and wno jhad observed the automatic rises and Jincreases in freezing and ghipping icharges were aiready aware that a great deal of the added toll upon thei; produce was lovied on the waterfront, continued Mr. FqIsqu, The loss created by the waste and deptruction occurring j probably amonnted to nearly £1,000,000. iWhen there was added to that figuye jthe increased costs firstly ashpra m i Ithe sending hack and freezing down of produce which the msn rc-fpsed to load, and, seepndly, at the ship's side in the overloading of each job with unnecessary men> the double banking anfi go-8low tactics employed, the ainonnt of loss to the farming community became '.far gfeafer. "Responsible officers of oce&n-gomg fehips have madq dOfinite statements that in spite of the fine equipment on our wharves our waterside conditions are the worst in the world," said Mr. Pqlson. "In Australia produce is loaded at double speed and half the cost, In Argentina, our other great competitor, it is done even more erpeditiously and at less cost than in Australia. "No Government can stand by and see things go on as they are," he declared. ''The present situation create3 an intplerahle position that crics aloud for adjustment and it must he au^nsred. |Mr, Roberts has heen elected president jof the New Zealand Labour Party, and jan important point in this connection jis, of course, whether it is waterside jlabour's answor to the demand for a cessation of wasfe and destruction on the wharves of New Zealand or merely a tribute to the growing power of this class of labour," Greater speed in handling cargo on the Auckland waterfront was called for by Mr G. c. G, Macindoe, chairman of ■the Harbour Board, under the threat that Auckland and other boards may be compelled to, scrap the ' existing 8ystem of engaging waterfront labour and appoint their own staffs for .the work. "1 am perf ectly satisfied that our New Zealand main ports, including Auckland, are the worst. manned in the world so far as waterside labour is coneerned," Mr Maoindoe said, "The workers loaf on their job. They are 'the highest paid Waterside workers in the world and they do / less for the imoney they are paid. That situation is not going to continne. It has reached a stage when port authorities, in projteetion of their xeputations, must tak'e ia definite stand and xemove from the wharves these men who will not work and appoint their own staffs to conduct the loading and discharging of vessels using the ports. " Auckland 's attitude in this matter, I feel sure, will be endorsed by the authorities of southern ports," Mr Macindoe added.