DUTCH SHIPS IN NEW ZEALAND

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25246, 26 July 1947, Page 2

DUTCH SHIPS IN NEW ZEALAND

POSSIBLE ACTION BY WATERSIDERS

LIFTING OF BAN ASKED FOR BY COMPANY

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.). WELLINGTON, July 25. An argument has developed in the last few days over whether or not New Zealand wharves will be open to Dutch ships. On the one hand, there are powerful New Zealand interests concerned with the sale of butter, cheese, and milk powder to Indonesia. On the other hand, there are influential members of the Waterside Workers’ Union, including the president (Mr H. Barnes), who claim that it is unlikely that watersiders will agree to handle Dutch ships in view of the latest developments between the Dutch and Indonesians.

The Royal Packet Navigation Company. which trades extensively in the Dutch East Indies, recently wrote to the watersiders’ union asking it to lift the ban on Dutch ships. It is understood that this request would have been acceded to had not hostilities begun again in the last few days between the Dutch and the Indonesians. „

It is known that many watersiders in the main ports who have supported the national executive in disputes with the Government, and notably with the Minister of Labour (Mr A. Lc-Lagan) are not so keenly interested in the international affairs side of union activities, and some are less than lukewarm about the possibilities of a Pacific Ocean “closed shop” policy, which could follow from a conference to be held shortly at Honolulu among members of waterside unions from many ports in the Pacific, including the United States. Australia, and New Zealand.