Refusal to Load a Japanese Ship

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 6, 30 September 1937, Page 5

Refusal to Load a Japanese Ship

-Pres8 AsBOciation.)

EXPORTERS PROTEST Auckland Watersiders' Action Cailed "Hasty" CONTRACTS JE0PARD1SED

(By Telegraph-

AUOKLAND, Last Night. . * On eompletion of the Auckland diicharge of the Japanese cargo from thtj steamer Chifuku Maru all the members ef the Auckland Waterside Workers' Union. left the ship and. refused to load "severai liundred tons of general cargoj waiting despatch. It at first appeareff that a deadlock had beOn reached and; preparations were made for the dOpar-j ture of the steamer for WeUingtOh .to^ night, but her sailing was later postK poned until noon to-morrow at thej earliest in the hope oi a settlement. { An assurance from the Prime Mixde-j jter (Mr. Savage) that the Ctovernmeatj ' •would not toleratd what was desCribidJ ks the unconstitutionai aetion oi loeell waterside workers in refusing tO wdrlq ;the Chifuku Maru was requested bjr e snoeting of importers, "It ii. ielt tlat such methods will seribusly prejUdice our export trade to Japan and would cause heavy losses to impoirterl owing ;to prior commitments, ' ' adds ihe fiiHisago sent to Mr. Savage. "Unless the jimports are landed," the message onItinues, "local factories must auffer foi jwant of material. We feel that ybui iGovernment will not aliow these watiri siders to jeopardiSe the presOnt g00d| will between New Zealand and Jap&ft Members of the committee at this meetrj ing feel that you will appreciate ifchij significance oi Our resolution and that yourself aud your colleagues wiil now tolerate this hasty action on the pari of the waterside worxere ooneerhedJ We further feel that you personally know the value of seciprocal trade which is after all ihe oorner stone of security among nation* to-day,1 * A resolution was passed at a meeting 0f expotters' representatives this aftern noon drawing .ihe attention of the Mina aster of Customs (Mr. Nash.) to jthe effects the action of watersiders .Will Ihave on trade if their action is eOA-j tinued. In the resolution it Was statedj that the matter wks a national issueJ The action Of the watersiders wai d# priving the country of revenue ana failure to loadi the ship would jeopaw dise existing contracts and WOttld haVij an unfortunate influenee on future busi| ness with Japan, It was unfair .diaj criminatiOn against. One paiticular seej tion, namely, the expdrtOri. > One of the representatives stated •later that if shipping from Japan id blocked it will give the Japanese Government an opportunity of withdrawinf pefmits for foreign exchange Sjjicl have been issued against the shipmenv, on the Chifuku Maru. Forrign «■*; change was not allowed to" bk scttt out! of Japan unless permission was jgiveaj by the Government. "Japan ha# proved a valuable he addedj "and in the case of some eommoditieif the prices paid by She Japanese ari higher than can. be. obtained in othefj markets." • -•