AUTHORITY FOR WATERFRONT

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25227, 4 July 1947, Page 8

AUTHORITY FOR WATERFRONT

RUMOUR ABOUT NEW COMMISSION

DENIAL BY GOVERNMENT

MEMBERS

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 3. Questions about the rumoured establishment of a new waterfront commission were asked by Opposition speakers in the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives today, but Government members denied that anything had been settled. _ Mr D. C. Kidd (Opposition, War* mate) asked if it were not a fact that the Government had just offered the watersiders another waterfront commission of six members, two representatives of employers, two of the employees. and two of the Government — each at a salary of £1650 a year. He said there was a time when watersiders and their employers, by resorting to normal channels, could settle their differences without paying six persons each £1650 from the public funds.

Mr T. E. Skinner (Government, Tamaki), asking for the source of Mr Kidd’s information, denied that a new waterfront commission had been set up. No agreement had been reached by the Government, and no contract had been signed, and no new commission had been set up.

The Minister of Labour (Mr A. McLagan) said the remark passed by Mr W. A. Eodkin (Opposition, Central Otago) last evening that the watersiders would achieve their demand for a commission comprising three of their representatives and one of the Government s was absurd. The watersiders had tried that once and had been refused. If Mr Bodkin, who shared with the watersiders their ambition to oust the Government, cared to accompany them in their next delegation to him asking for such a commission then said Mr McLagan, amid laughter, his door w’ould be open to Mr Bodkin. Voices: Coming or going?