SCRAP IRON FOR JAPAN

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 2, 28 September 1937, Page 11

SCRAP IRON FOR JAPAN

Dunedin Watersiders Will Load No More

DECISION AT MEETING

By Telegraph—Press Association,

Dunedin, September 27.

“At a stop-work meeting this morning members of the Waterside Workers’ Union unanimously decided not to load any more scrap-iron on vessels sailing for Japan. “It was only with great difficulty that union officials persuaded the men to load the Japanese freighter Melbourne Maru, at present berthed at Victoria Wharf,” said a union official. “Union members have no sympathy with the bombing of defenceless towns and women and children the way Japan is doing,” continued the official. “If it was a fair fight we would load scrap, but in the present circumstances the waterside workers definitely refuse to assist iu the shipping of scrap-iron to any country in the world that might follow the course Japan is taking.”

The sacrifice which the men were prepared to make in not loading the Melbourne Maru to-day is evident when it is known that six gangs comprising over 100 men would have to stand down. The vessel will take from Dunedin from 80 to 130 tons of scrap, most of which is now lying on the wharf.

“From our point of view, the stoppage does not seriously affect our trade.” said a local exporter, who practically controls the local shipping of scrap-iron.” The present shipment almost completes a contract we made last July for consignments during September and October. No further contracts will be made, however. Although we might have cancelled the present shipment, it would not have been fair, either to the consignees or to the local small vendors who have spent a considerable time collecting scrap-iron. Another point is that the Japanese Government has sole control of the importation of this commodity and refuses to permit any importer to buy such quantities as he may himself think fit. If it is considered ..that there is sufficient scrap metal in Japan to warrant the prohibition of its importation this .the Government d(X4s. This applies also to any other commodity with which the same position arises. This first arose from a considerable excess of imports over exports in Japan.”