Inquiry Into Meals Aboard Wanganella

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30677, 17 February 1965, Page 9

Inquiry Into Meals Aboard Wanganella

Complaints about food for workers aboard the Wanganella in Deep Cove are being investigated by representatives in Invercargill of the Bechtell Corporation, who have given an assurance that there will be little cause for complaint in the immediate future.

This was said yesterday by the president of the New Zealand Workers’ Union (Mr W. A. Dempster) when commenting on a letter to the editor of “The Press” from Mr T. Ryan, writing from Deep Cove. Mr Ryan said: “I do not know Mr Harold Clarke’s qualifications, but in the last 17 years I have worked in almost every major construction camp job in New Zealand, including Kawerau, Kinleith, Atiamuri, Wairaki, Hayward sub-station, and the Cobb Valley. In no ease have I experienced any grounds for complaint regarding the quality of the food. “It was recently reported in the press that Dr. Fogg had received an apology from Mr Dempster, president of the N.Z.W.U., apparently over an

Investigation of complaints about food on the Wanganella.

“111-Founded Apology” “If that was the case, I consider the apology presumptuous and ill-founded. I personally raised the issue, and, in doing so, voiced the general feeling of the men. Before Dr. Fogg’s arrival, three supply ships had called and brought no fresh vegetables. Then a supply ship came from Bluff with fresh food. Bv a strange coincidence, Dr. Fogg arrived at the same time. To the best of my knowledge, no man was given the opportunity to verify his complaints to Dr. Fogg. “The menu consists mainly of tinned food, which, even if not unhealthy, does tend to get monotonous when eaten for months on end.”

Commenting on the letter, Mr Dempster said: “It is unfortunate if my letter of apology to Dr. Fogg has been taken as being in complete agreement with his report. The apology was tendered only because of Mr

Curran’s discourtesy, after making complaints in his then official position as local chairman of the local committee, in not availing himself of Dr. Fogg’s invitation to accompany him on a personal inspection. “Mr Ryan, as a complainant, is unknown to me, and at no time have I said that the food on the Wanganella was good or bad. I consider, like Dr. Fogg, that many of the problems associated with the job of supplies will be obviated by the completion of the Wilmot Pass road, but in the meantime I, as one who has eaten on my periodic visits to the Wanganella good and indifferent food, took steps at our recent meeting with the management in Wellington to have an inquiry made into these genuine complaints as now voiced by Mr Ryan. “Genuine In Main” “The company has agreed that, in the main, complaints are genuine, but it is not its desire to impose a montonous tinned diet on our members.

Its problem has been, and still is today, transport, and it promised to obviate as quickly as possible the matters causing dissension. “Since reading Mr Ryan’s letter, I have communicated by telephone with the management in Invercargill, and it advised that those responsible for the catering administration on the Wanganella have been brought out from Deep Cove, and are at the moment in Invercargill, where a management inquiry is being held. I have been assured that our members will have little cause for complaint in the immediate future.

“The management also advised me that the Wilmot Pass is once again closed by the weather, and that personnel and supplies are standing by at Te Anau, ready to fly in as soon as the pass is open. “A close watch is being kept on the position through our local secretary (Mr R. Thomas).”