STATEMENT BY MR SEMPLE

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25446, 18 March 1948, Page 4

STATEMENT BY MR SEMPLE

“Attempt By Clique To Get Control” ■ (P.A.) WELLINGTON, March 17. "It is tragic that so many working : men should have been persuaded, or i Intimidated as the case might be, into : striking for what probably was presented to them as a trade union principle, but which was in tact nothing ; more or less than an attempt by a ’ clique to secure control of one of the nation’s biggest public works jobs" said the* Minister of Works (Mr It ' Semple), commenting to-day on the strike at Maraetai. Working men, their wives, and ; children were being forced to suffer 1 hardships, said Mr Semple, because one man was being transferred from one public works job to another. In ! all his long experience of industrial ■ struggles he had never seen anything I so foolish or futile, said the Minister. un the.,Other hgnd, Mr fe Clapham, the man over whose transfer the strike was called, was single, and a transfer meant no hardship to him whatever. As Minister or Works, said Mr Semple, he was charged with the responsibility of prosecuting huge hydroelectric schemes, so that the nation might have the electricity it required. The cost of those schemes ran into >non« rxf nnilhHa

Convinced by Engineers When engineers on huge undertakings like Maraetai convinced him they were unable to carry on while the man concerned was on the job, he would be shirking his responsibility to’ the nation if he had not taken steps to ensure that the job progressed smoothly and efficiently. The job could not be carried on without the skilful direction of the engineers, but could progress without the man concerned. The engineers had handed in their resignations, to become effective if Mr Clapham remained on the job, and the Professional Engineers’ Association was firm in the attitude that no engineers would work on the job if theix fellows were forced to resign, ‘Faced with such a position, my duty as Minister was clear.” said Mr Semple. ‘‘l merely directed that Mr Clap ham be transferred. The authority of my engineers on these huge undertakings must be upheld.” fact, said Mr Semple, was that the situation was a trial of strength between certain forces and the Government The Government must win.