WATERSIDE UNION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26636, 5 December 1947, Page 6

WATERSIDE UNION

OFFICERS ELECTED SELECTION OF VICE-PRESIDENT Industrial Correspondent • WELLINGTON, Dec. 4. Elected vice-president of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union in; the early stages of the biennial conference of delegates last week, Mr W. Lang of Lyttelton, entered his resignation before the conference finished. Mr Lang,. in the original ballot, defeated the sitting vice-president, Mr A. Drennan, of Auckland. The president, Mr H. Barnes, in a subsequent'. address made clear his disgust at Mr Drennan’s defeat and called in strong terms for full endorsement of the policy of the national executive. The conference endorsed the addresses presented by Mr Barnes and by Mr T. Hill, secretary, on their last two years stewardship. The resignation of Mr Lang was subsequently entered and a new ballot was taken. In this ballot Mr Drennan defeated Mr E. A. Napier, secretary of the Wellington branch, and was reinstated in office. Mr Hill denied reports that there had been stormy scenes at the conference after the election of Mr. Lang and that the speech by Mr Barnes had led to Mr Lang’s subsequent resignation. He said that Mr Lang was elected vicepresident at the conference on Friday and on Tuesday said that for per-, sonal reasons he wished to resign. Mr Barnes was not present when Mr Lang made this announcement, but returned later in the day and the resignation was accepted. The returning officer for the conference elections; Mr S. B. Macdonald, of Dunedin, reported the following results;—President, Mr H. Barnes, Auckland (re-elected unopposed); vice-pre-sident, Mr A. Drennan (Auckland); national executive—Messrs Vella (Bluff), G. Panther (Greymouth), J. Hunter (Oamaru), J. Whitford and J. D. Sargentina (Lyttelton), A. C. Dellaway and T. G. Wells (Wellington), and G. Thomas (Gisborne). Mr Thomas was. the only sitting member of the national executive reelected. The others had either not contested office or were defeated. Mr Barnes stated that the general policy of the union would be unchanged. , , _ . . The election for the post of national secretary will be held by secret ballot at all ports in February. Mr T. Hill, who holds the office, will be opposed by Mr J. E. Napier, walking delegate of the Wellington branch.