A WHEELBARROW FULL OF SURPRISES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22444, 4 July 1938, Page 7

A WHEELBARROW FULL OF SURPRISES

to tat emtos or res press. Sir,—l do not think J. Hill’s statements should pass unchallenged. The Government for a long time has been trying'to foster the tourist traffic and doing everything possible to induct visitors from oversea to come here. They no sooner arrive than they are put to great inconvenience and unable to get meals at hotels; complaints have been frequent of extortion; and they have also been insulted, two gentlemen recently mad* a criticism of what they had seen, which w«? fair and reasonable, inter alia stating that "waterside workers seemed to be able to do what they liked,” and that “the Government was probably afraid to take any action.” I am of opinion that that statement is correct. I have passed, morning after morning, through gangs of watersiders on the wharves, and it certainly appeared te me that

the men seemed to do what they liked. In every port there has been trouble, and ships, and sometimes passengers, have been delayed. As the visitors remarked, it. is quite possible that the Government in a crisis would refuse to take action, for fear of sympathetic trouble arising in other ports, or even extending to Australia. The watersiders are the slowest but the bestpaid class in the country. Attention was only recently drawn to the costliness of working ships in New Zealand ports. The reason can be seen by anyone paying a visit to the wharves and watching how the work is done!

Your correspondent should withdraw his remarks and apologise. Our visitors are here to accept the hospitality the country offers—not to be insulted. It is quite evident that some of our people are super-sensitive and are pretty good at mud-slinging.— Yours, etc., BE FAIR. July 3, 1938.