WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 13 October 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON NEWS

THE SHIPS SAIL

(Special to ‘‘GnhrdKn”.)

WKI.LIXOTON. October lb A> >imti as the people rco tlitil ill,. seamen's strike had gone lar enough ami thitt the country would by i heavy loser they soon began to stir ,;j, those who should have seen that the >1 like «as serious and got them moving. The Jtuahine has sailed tor i undon the Arawa, which was about lust vessel held up. m ready to leave port and will prohahly have sailed tor London be I ore these linos appear in print. Other vessels w ill St ( ‘t mav sueedily. whieh merely goes to ,iiow that bad the authorities faced ihe position early the trouble would have ended long ago. It must not lie supposed that all the men oil strike are m favour of the strike, scores „i them if not the majority, are anxious to get luck to their shins, but are atraid to ( 0 MJ . Given snliquntt* probation men would their vessek inul curry «iii. App;m int|v | Ik.'V are m»w to receive tlint ]notcctioii. and the strike will soon lizzie |„ the meanwhile it ?>: interesting i,, note the acroliatic tcnt< ol the Labour candidates who are home asked some ugly questions. The seamen on strike signed on in accordance wit.i an agreement entered into with the Maritime Hoard. This Hoard lias functioned tor the past eight years, and 1 1„. same procedure has been preserved throughout. The seamen entered int i their contracts with the shipowners in Britain and they should go back M Britain and light the matter out; instead of doing that they wait until tliev get to Australia and New Zealand imd penalise the primary producers and the whole people ol the Dominions by preventing the produce being shipped. The Labour Party approves of the action of these seamen and is giving even support thus subscribing to the doctrine set out by the Labour candidate for Invercargill ‘‘To Hell with agreements.'’ The Labour Party in supporting the seamen is equally guilty in holding up the country’s produce lor they are accessories alter the fact and that should noi lie lorgottou on the polling day. Of course some of the Labour Party make use ol the emotional element that men cannot live on til per month. This question i> not involved, in any case it is not a question that can he settled here, but in London. The strike oi Lettish seamen in our ports is a crime against the people of N.Z.. and the men should lie adequately punished. Tile electors of the Dominion would be wanting in self-respect and in common honesty it lhoy voted to put the Labour Party on the (loverument lien,-lies. "To Hell with agreements ” may he acceptable to the wild Red men who run the Labour Party, but it is not the doctrine that honest, people can stand for. Before the election contest is many days older the Labour Party will get many sharp criticisms. IMPORTS INTO N.Z. The values of imports into the Dominion continue to examl. for the eight mouths to tiie end ol August the

value (>1 the merchandise imported iva'i C3l.P]fi.fi2fi. as compared with C3l .- -1.7-1.91 I in the corresponding term of last year and C23.2(17.72-7, in the S mmtths of 1923. these ti litres being exclusive ot' suc-cie. Compared with lit' eight months of hist year there is an increase ol £2,fu11,982, and with the correspondin;; period ol an increase of L':7,*09,2(11. The aggregate oI the ditferent divisions of imports -how that t'ne import- of suit- goods amounted to LT.llio.iifo. against C'<!.332.279 in ihe corresponding eight months of last year; hardwnr" L' 1.70-1.->•11. against C-I.onL.'ISI ; foodstulls L2.37fi.251, against C2.54:7,788 ; I leverages LI. 433.fi(t3. against C I ,341 .27-’ ; mir.eellaueous L I I.U7!>.if L . against CIO. I ,’: .7.2T5. and other pend- fib. 117.331. against .C-7..9.1 t,(1.~»2. The heaviest ineresse- are in mi-i ellaneoiis and other goods. The miscellaneous seelion is nearly a million heavier, motor vehicles shou itig an increase of L 102,- ( 71. rubber Ivres L277. , -;4H. and tindier L tfp.t-titt. ihe nniaher of motor v.-hi-eles import'-d during ihr- eight months o; thi; year was It.liOf. as against 12..'1d I in the eight months of last year, and- '—'>2ll in the cigliL months id li;2.'i; there was thus an increase of over I 923. The values were L2.>Hd.''-71 against C2.3tiN.7li! last year, and Cl,-703,211 in Itl'J.'t. The increase siiown hv sot'! poods totals j C 773.429 or 12 per cent, mostly ae-| eoiinled lor by apparel, silks and cotton-. Woollen piece poods show a deereaso „f Cl 1.l 111. hood-tillfs decreased hv Clfi9.-7117 or netu lv 7 per i t nt. title mainly to decreases in plain C32!.0(H) and sugar CT’ls.oiiti. The principal etmntries of the origin of our imports were: Cmted Kingdom Clfi,-7.-Australia L"t.:T*i2.7-iO. Canada £2. I 17.7-72. India and Ceylon C 1,119.579. Kid C70(1.7.!i5. all liritish sources C2",1ti2.7111, or ft per eeiil, I'nited Stales Co. (120, 111 in stands nexl.