DISPUTE STILL ON.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 243, 13 October 1936, Page 8

DISPUTE STILL ON.

FISHERMEN'S STAND.

MEN MAKE PROPOSALS.

OPEN SELLING SUGGESTED. No settlement having been reached up to this afternoon in their dispute with the dealers; the Auckland fishermen who cliose on Friday last to tie up their boats rather than go out and catch snapper for less than 2d a lb are considering what steps tliey should take in preparation for a prolonged "stay ashore" campaign. The decision arrived at yesterday by a meeting of about 150 of the fishermen at the Trades Hall to ask for a Government inquiry into the whole condition of the fishing industry had been threatened last week, when the dispute arose, as one of the first steps that the men would take if a settlement were not soon reached. Sale of Fish. One of the proposals that was being discussed among the fishermen this morning was that if the dispute lasted much longer the boats should go out and catch fish which should be sold direct to the public at tlnv market landings, at Devonport wharf, or at any other place where there was a demand, the proceeds of such sales to be devoted to a fund for the assistance of those fishermen who found themselves in financial difficulties through the tying up of their boats. Such sales of fish would be a direct breach of the by-laws both of the City Council and the Harbour Board, but the fishermen consider that those by-laws were framed purely for the benefit of the middlemen and declare that in an emergency they would liave no hesitation in breaking them. Wharf Wanted. Another suggestion is that the fisher- ! men should forward to the Government an objection against the appeal of the Auckland Yacht and Motor Boat Association for a £10,000 subsidy to the Auckland Harbour Board towards the cost of completing the boat harbour at St. Mary's Bay. In their objection the fishermen would point out that the Harbour Board and the City Council liave spent thousands of pounds putting a breakwater across the bay and providing access to the foreshore, and that it is proposed to spend about £30,000 moie on this project, while the fishermen, who supply to the public an essential article of food, have only a very inadequate berthing space at the Market Landings and no proper facilities for handling their catches. They would appeal to the Government to realise, and to point out to the Harbour Board, that theirs was a primary industry that not only employed a la?ge amount of local labour but was capable of being expanded into becoming one of the Dominion's most important exporting industries and that anv moiiev that was available for expenditure on the further development of the Auckland Harbour should be expended for the benefit of such a necessary industry rather than on facilities for P'^ a " ure-making during the summer months. Three Boats Arrive. ' Three boats that arrived overnight unloaded their catches this morning without the fishermen raising any objection, they having been at sea when the dispute started. Tlicir unloading wap watched, however," by hostile eyes, as two out of the three belonfpd to one of the three firms that are still refusing to pay the fishermen the price they demand, 2d a lb, while all the other dealers are willing to agree to it. The fishermen will not catch, fisli for 2d a lb for those that are willing to pay that price owing to the certainty that suplilies would "leak" to the others, but they have not asked the crews of the steamer trawlers to tie up those vessels also, as the owners of the trawlers have promised that there will be no "leakage" of the trawlers' catches to the firms concerned in the dispute. Only one seine net boat, as far as can be ascertained, is still at sea, and after she comes in the two steam trawlers fishing out of the port will be the only suppliers of fish to Auckland. Feelings are becoming strained by the prolongation of the hold-up, though the fishermen ddclare that they can quite well afford to stay in port for another month. They have not really lost much so far by tying up their vessels, as the weather has been too rough' for any but the largest of the boats to go out into the gulf. Some of the owner-skippers who have tied up their boats thought they would put their boats on the slip for cleaning and painting while they were laid up, but such suggestions were frowned upon by the committee that is managing the affair, because it was thought that the owner-dealers with whom the dispute is would do likewise and turn the hold-up to advantage by overhauling their boats now instead of later in the season. Repairing His Net. Even the repairing of nets, the neverending task of the seine net fishermen, is considered to be not quite "playing the game." The pickets at the Market Landing, where usually a dozen men may be seen at such a task, remonstrated strongly with the only man who dared to ply his needle this morning, but, as lie was not so very long ago a middle-weight pugilist of international repute, as well as "a very decent chap," no one interfered with him. In fact, the pickets, with restless fingers, envied him for having something to do. Meanwhile conferences are being held between the various parties, and it is hoped that the dispute will soon be settled.