MR. GODFREY'S APPOINTMENT

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 267, 8 November 1923, Page 3

MR. GODFREY'S APPOINTMENT

AS SECRETARY OF IVtARXNE. SEAMEN'S UNION PROTEST. The appointment of Mr. Godfrey, of the Public Works Department, a* Secretary of Marine, 'has not met with, the unanimous approval of members of tlie Seamen's Union, and the appointment was under discussion at a stopwork meeting of tie Union on Tuesday. It was pointed out -that the Hon. G. J. Anderson, Minister of Marine, hail stated in the House on August 10 that he had asked the Public Service Commasßioner to appoint the strongest man possible to the position. The general impression conveyed was that a permanent Secretary would be appointed, a man •who would "have the necessa-ry knowiedge and experience of maritime matters. Members of the Union expressed disappointment at the appointment and were strongly of opinion that a more qualified man for the position was available in the Marine Department and tiha* such a. man wotdd have been able to exercise proper control over his technical advisers, and his knowledge of the laws and regulations surrounding matters maritime wonW. have ensured their effective observance, something which *he seamen contended. ■whs being disregarded, in many isspects to-iday. . At Tuesday's stop-work meertang tw following resolution was passed: —• "■That this stop-work meeting of members of the Federated Seamen's Union deplores the fact <fchut the Government has appointed a permanenS Secretary of Marine from outside the Marine Department. New Zealand being, by reason of her vast resources and insular position, a. maritime country of rapidly increasing consequence, there is, in our opinion, no more important Department of State than Hat of Marine. For this reason oione the greatest care should be taken to" ensure its efficiency *o deal with all matters coming TvitJlUi its jurisdiction. We ere of opinion that in ate appomfcments to the post of Secretary Bines the death of the late Mr. George Allport the Government has shewn a complete lack of appreciation of -what as required in this respect, and that as «; result this Department, from feeing one of the most efficient in the Governmen* service, has degenerated into c. neefc of disorganisation and. muddlement. This, we believe, would not nave been the case had other than political cansiderafcfcns been taken into account in tihe appointing of the late Mr. AUport'a successor. Believing as we do that a profound, knowledge of maritime law and the underlying history of it'is tte chief eesenitpal to the equipment of a. successful Secretary of Marine, and that this can only be acquired thrcugli. many years of experience in the Marine Department itself, we -therefore, as parties vitally concerned in the constitution and efficiency of i!ha.t Department, protest most emphartiaaiy against the appointment of a person having little or no experience of -these maitteru. Wβ demand that thorough qualification for .the post shall be -the only consideration governing the appointment."