TRANSPORT WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 142, 15 June 1917, Page 7

TRANSPORT WORK.

AUCKLAND CARPENTERS' GRIEVANCE. DEPUTATION TO SIR JAMES ALLEN. A deputation representing the working carpenters of Auckland was introduced to the Minister of Defence. Sir James Allen, by Mr. C. J. Parr. M.P., yesterday afternoon, with the object of impressing upon tiie Minister the hardship imposed on Auckland carpenters by their inability to get any of tho fittingup work on transports. Mr. Parr pointed out that there were at present about 50 carpenters, practically all married men, out of work in Auckland.

The deputy organiser of the Auckland Carpenters' Union (Mr. J. Sweeney) n • [minded the Minister of his promise last September to have a transport fitted up in Auckland hi January or February. Just this week another trans-port arrived here, and a number of men were put (ill to fit her up, yet suddenly they had been all knocked oil. the authorities saying that she had to go to Wellington to finish her fitting up. Men were working in Wellington overtime every day, and also on Saturdays and Sundays, and it would be only a fair thing if Auckland had a little share, even if the men were carried from Auckland to Wellington for the purpose.

The Minister informed the. deputation that tbe vessel they referred to was an Imperially comanandexued boat, and he therefore could not say what arrange, invents bad been made regarding her fitting up. The shipping companies themselves litted up tliose boats, and probably the. contracts were let by tbe compailies and not by the Government. "As a matter of fact," added Sir .lames Allen, •' there is very little fitting up ot transports done at all now, anil what is done is nearly all carr'ed out at Port Chalmers. In the future I believe that bunks are to be dispensed with and hammocks substituted." The Minister pointed out that in the case of the Home liners the chief object was to get them unloaded and loaded with dispatch, and he presumed therefore that this consideration was the reason for the work being started on the boat in Auckland and completed in Wellington. He would, however, make inquiries on the point. He went on to say that he did not remember having promised the fitting up of a ship nt Auckland. Mr. Sweeney siiiel that it was last September when the Pakeha was here, On that occasion the Minister promised bhat tbe next transport would be litted up in .Auckland, either in January or February. " Well, the trouble is that they are oblige-il to go to their loading port as quickly as ever they can," replied Sir James Allen."

Mr. Sweeney suggested that it might bo arranged with the Wellington firm which had the fitting up work for a number of Auckland carpenters to go down there. They could supply 4U or more at short notice. As a matter of fact, be haul already supplied contractorri in Wellington witb men from Auckland at 3/ per day above the award rate, together with all expenses. There was a very big demand for carpenters in Wellington, where such labour was at, present „iort owing to the great amount of work.

The Minister promised to telegraph anil nak whether the contracting firm could not take some of the Auckland meat