FITTING UP TRANSPORTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 209, 1 September 1916, Page 4

FITTING UP TRANSPORTS.

AUCKLAND MEK WA3TT SHAKE. TO MDHSEER. - Tie Hon. A. M. Myers, Minister ef Munition?, received a deputation from the Auckland branch of the Cirpeata* And Joiners-' Union at the GorenoMnt Buildings this moraine, the arista* being introduced by Mr. A. E. Gleter, M.P. ' The 6ecretary for the union, 3tr! Tom Bloodworth. was spokesman foftta deputation. He said they wash*! to point out to the Minister the oaftfr treatment Auckland had received hi th< matter of fitting out tram orte. It w»« not in that respect alone he consider*! Auckland had not been treated Uirit ever since the commencement ef tiuS-wat, owing to there being no Dig eattp i&tt. [ Soon after the war started they TS»J pointed out to the Government «t*t they considered unfair treatment ia ttiii respect, and they remembered that Mr. Myers himself had tried to aesbt ttem !in the matter. SinrHar action bad "netp. ai;o taken by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, but co far there hid b*?n little beneficial Tee Tilt as far as profiling that a fair share of the expenditure came* here. They had received a reply from the Minister of Defence vhiA indicated that Auckland :uld he aort fairly treated in the future, and a sionlar promise -was made in response t» representations from Mr. C. J. Etrr, &?. Mr. Bloodworth said they considtrtd those promises had not been kept.' At the present time the work for carpeattn was not brisk in Auckland, and tbe bad 1 weather had resulted in men only getting about two and a-aalf dayi" -work it a. week for some time pact. To* b»i ■wtather had also delayed some big jobs coming out, and the scarcity of steel to also a. factor in delaying work being offered. Under euch circumstances it we* ell the mare important that the mem ii Auckland ehonld get a. fair share af lie of fitting out transports. I*t week a. transport was started to be fitted out in Auckland, and some 81 mea were employed on that work. The vessel bad •to leave for Wellington, and then* ma were put off. although the timber ..was'' 1 taken on board here for the work to be done.. They were informed Oat the requtsitei ton to finish the job.. Inquiry from th* branch of the union had elicited the is-' formation that there were no carpenter* out of work down there, but that tSetnilden had agreed to lend empkOTM* to enable the job to be completed. Under such circumstances he ca-w no nana vrhy the men could not bare bees taktt on from Auckland to complete the work :on the transport. Aa matter* bad turned out in this particular case, it wat a good thing for the men that they aai not gone on with that eteamtr,, hut tint did not alter the position- The nwn 5a Auckland had given good iwtirfirrion j i a Wellington firm that bad been fittaf up a. transport here, so there wat it . reason 'why they should loee the job. Mr. Bloodworth also mentioned that vp < wards of 200 members of their union k*i gone to the front, and those left behiad vere practically all married aen wie ; had families to ■mgfnfuin THE JONISTER'S REPLY. The Eon. A. M. Myeni Mid be lite made representation to the Departeeat tome time ago in connection wita tM subject matter of the deputation. B» - reply from the Hinitter of Defence wa» a definite one, and be vaa quite tut that promise would be kept.. At tk* same time it must not be foijottta tkat the short time given to fitting out transports it was very difficult to divert ta* ', vessels from certain channel* of trad* I routes. Therefore the work of fittiag o» had to be done where it vu ntost «aitable for the Steamer to be. TrattupMtt only got comparatively few cbaneM to revictual and nave toe necessary re-. J pairs and alterations carried out. To I not waste a ship's time wa» a matter «| considerable moment when vessels .we*.:'. so scarce. For that reason the wtfkwas started in one port, and as sooa a> the vessel had to leave on her ordinary trip the men were put off in order t" allow others to be put on at tbe not; port of call. There could be no donb* whatever that the Minister for Defeat? would not go back on bis promise. Ai ' Mr. Allen would be in AruHiti probably next Monday, Mr. Myers SHf.-., , gested that a deputation should also vatt. i upon that gentleman, and added that meanwhile he also ■would make representations to the Minister for IJefsW upon the matter. Mr. Myers said *Mf must not be parochial in matter* of tw ; I kind. Aβ the camps were nesx Wellisf ton, that city must necessarily benefit t* a large extent. The weather wat a ■»' ter beyond th* control of ta* Cabia* but if "there were many carptoten «• of work, it might be possible to *•£ them to other places. The tronM* » Government had to face wm to ketp • the activities of trade when so-naff *». the brave boys of New Zealand *** fighting t&e battles of tie Bmpir*. ** had not the slightest hesitation in »r ing that an y work in the shape of ttip building could certainly be done as «eu in Auckland as any otiier Dominion. The early pkmeers of•*!*-; land had brought ehipbrdlding w.» the front. Auek?and's destiny was tew a big shipping place, fa con(^?i Myers said he would nit* mn* P"»" infringing the subject of the under thVnotice of the Mmiiter for Pe-, fence. . -