TRADES UNION LEADER

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23318, 2 May 1941, Page 8

TRADES UNION LEADER

Mr W. Holmes’s Visit

With a message from the workers of Great Britain to the workers of New Zealand* Mr W. Holmes, a former president of the Trades Union Congress and secretary of the British Agricultural Workers’ Union, arrived in' Christchurch last night. He travelled from Wellington to Blenheim by air and motored to Christchurch to see the countryside. He will be in Canterbury till Monday. , « v Mr Holmes is accompanied .by Mr C. A. Furlong, Government reception Officer, and Mr E. Riley* of the Prime Minister's Department. • When he arrived at Blenheim he Was met by the Mayor (Mr C. T. Smith) and Mr E. P. Meachen, M.P,, and entertained at morning tea.. He was welcomed to Christchurch by the, Deputy-Mayor (Mr J, S. Barnett), Mr H. Me? Caw (president of the Federation of Labour), Mr J. Roberts (president of the Christchurch Labour Representation Committee), and other Labour officials. Last night he made an informal call at a meeting of the Labour Representation Committee and gave a brief address* To-day Mr Holmes will inspect the Addington railway workshops and give an address to the men. A reception will be. given by trades unions at the Civic Theatre on Sunday night, and bn Monday he will; probably giye an addrOSs to watersffie That: evening he will attend; a*oivfc reception at the ’ Council Chambers in Christchurch. Timaru will be visited on Tuesday* and on Wednesday and Thursday Mr Holmes will be at Dunedin.He Will return to Christchurch next Friday and 1 will' leave the following day for Greymouth, visiting Westport, Nelson, and Blenheim before he returns to Wellington on May 15. ' . The Hon. P. C. Webb (Minister for Labour), with his private secretary (Mr S. Y. Jones), will arrive in Christchurch to-day to join Mr Holmes on his tour of the South Island.