RESENTMENT VOICED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 225, 22 September 1932, Page 9

RESENTMENT VOICED.

MANUREWA RELIEF MEN. ACCUSATION OF "LOAFING." EXPLANATION BY MR. ROBERTS. A good deal of resentment has been expressed by a section of relief workers in Manukau County as the outcome of allegations or loafing and damage to implements, which were made at the last meeting of the Manukau County Council in a letter from Mr. A. Roberts, of Manurewa. Yesterday a' stopwork meeting of the men concerned was held, and a deputation met Mr. Roberts, with a request that he should give his reasons for making the. complaint, and either substantiate the statements or apologise.

Mr. Roberts expressed regret that his letter had been published, and said that it was a private letter to the Manukau County Council. The information that grubber and slasher handles had been broken was received by him from relief workers on the job. He admitted that the quality of some of the handles was poor. The deputation said that some of the men had their own implements, and that in many cases they' had repaired the handles of implements supplied with tea-tree and acacia obtained on the job. With regard to Mr. Roberts' remarks on Communism, the deputation said that he was - entitled to- his own • political opinions, but they, claimed that the united workers' movement was non-poli-tical., and represented- all shades .'of opinion. They .felt that Mr. Roberts' remarks about getting decent men was B. slur on all.' The deputation said that the work would be gone on with> pending an interview with officials of the Manukau County Council. .