“A LITTLE CHAOTIC”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 June 1940, Page 7

“A LITTLE CHAOTIC”

CONDITIONS ON WATERFRONT MR A. E. JULL’S CRITICISM. FINANCE MINISTER’S REJOINDER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. Criticism of the Ministry for its handling of the waterfront situation since the commencement of the war was expressing in the House of Representatives yesterday by Mr A. E. .lull, who said the policy had been most vacillating and the Minister of Labour.. Mr Webb, had spoken a lot of brave words which had been received with laughter on the waterfront. “In waterfront policy the Government has shown utter lack of efficiency in administration and the most chaotic ideas of policy.” he said. The Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, had said no one should seek to impose additional burdens on the British taxpayer. On December 30 Mr Nash was in Napier, and, with the member for Napier, Mr Barnard, went down to interview waterside workers who were holding a stop-work meeting on a ship, and the two gentlemen undertook te interview the shipping company and see what could be done. They did that and urged the men to go back to work.

The Prime Minister: "And the shipping owners gave more than was suggested. Mr Jull: “I am telling the little story." A Government member: "A funny story.”

Mr Jull: "The shipping company decided to give something in addition to the overtime rate. The men got something like 10s 4d an hour. Thai is an indication of the consistency of the Minister of Finance when he says no one should make any additional profit out of the war. It is a shame the Minister should engage in an undertaking that imposes such an obligation on the British people. The waterside today was still a little chaotic, Mr Jull continued. Negotiations had been going on for some considerable time and a commission had been appointed.

Mr Fraser, “After all. the watersiders are more useful than the breweries.” Mr Jull: “If it were not for the watersiders some of the breweries would have to close up.” Proceeding Mr Jull said there had been another episode in respect to the loading of ships at Wanganui. It was a case where the watersiders felt a little extra remuneration would not do any harm. The shipping companies agreed to give an additional amount for overtime. He thought it was 7s or 8s an hour instead of 5s 4d. That was another indication of the •inefficiency of the gentleman now administering the affairs of the country. Turning to the Seamen's Union, Mr Jull said there was a gentleman named Walsh, general secretary of the union, and in a statement riiade recently he had said no Government, not even a Labour Government, would make the Seamen’s Union do what it did not want to do. Mr Tra'ser: “Mr Walsh has denied that.”

Mr Jull: “He also said that if any Government did that he would bounce the ball and out it out.”

The Government had not been game to attack the question," Mr Jull added. The Speaker, Mr Barnard: “The hon member will have to withdraw that statement.”

Mr Jull: "I withdraw it with pleasure.” '

During the third reading debate on the Bill the Minister of' Finance, Mr Nash, said the rate paid to the waterside workers who worked overtime at Napier had been voluntarily offered by the employers and no suggestion as to the rate to be paid had been made by the men. Moreover, he had been informed that the action of the men in working on Saturday night and for some time into Sunday morning had saved the shipping company £2OOO.

CONTRACT SYSTEM MR WEBB ANTICIPATES GREAT IMPROVEMENT SUNDAY WORK AND PAY. The intention of the Government to introduce the co-operative contract system of work on the waterfront was announced by the Minister of Labour. Mr Webb. “Taken all over the average wage on the waterfront is less than that of a competent tradesman,” Mr Webb said. ‘The peculiar conditions of waterfront work make it necessary to have available an army of men who cannot be employed all the time. Members of the Opposition have complained about the rate paid on one occasion, but that was for Sunday work, which has been taboo for years, and no serious objection to the rates paid has been taken by the employers.” Neither the employers nor the waterside workers wished to have. Sunday work if possible. Mr Webb said, but when it was absolutely necessary the shipping companies were prepared to pay the rates prescribed for that work. There has never been a rate paid that had not been mutually agreed on by the employers and the men. For weekend work on a ‘ ship recently loaded in Wellington the men had received £2 16s. while for similar work at the same time in the Port of London the wage would have been £5 Ils.

Mr Holland: (Opposition. Christchurch North): "Not 10s an hour."

Mr Webb: “Our men did not get 10= an hour right through. Some of our ports are hard to work decently, and it is difficult to keep the ships on the move there.” The Waterside Control Commission had already made great improvements on the waterfront, the Minister added, and he was confident that it would solve one of the greatest problems of this country. “Our job is to get the ships in and out as soon as possible.” he added, “and we are introducing the system of co-operative contract, under which the men will be paid for work and will not receive a bonus for loafing, as happened under the old order. It will be in their interests to work the ships as quickly as possible, and 1 believe this step will revolutionise conditions on the waterfront to the benefit of everyone.”