LABOUR LOSES STALWART

Evening Star, Issue 24482, 17 April 1943, Page 4

LABOUR LOSES STALWART

HON. ARTHUR COOK MISSING SHIP TORPEDOED NEAR AZORES (P,A.) - WELLINGTON, April 16. , " It isiwith the deepest regret that I" have to ahnouuco that the Hon. Arthur' Cook, M.L.C.* was a passenger on the California Star, which was torpedoed about 100 miles north-west of the Azores, en route to Britain,' and he has not been reported among the survivors," said the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, to-day. "Mr Cook was selected by the New Zealand Federation of Labour to represent it at the Trade Union Congress, which is now in session in Britain, and was on his way there when the ship was torpedoed. " A considerable number of survivors were landed on the Azores a few days after the ship was sunk," the Prime Minister added,' " but I am sorry to say that up to tho present there has been no report concerning Mr Cook. The last seen of him by some of the survivors was that he was on a raft with the first officer. While there is still a, possibility that Mr Coot and his companions have been picked up, there is no evidence of the fact, and he is officially presumed! lost." The sincere sympathy of the Government, both Houses of Parliament, and the Labour movement was extended . to Mrs Cook and members of the family by Mr Fraser. The Prime. Minister said that Mr Cook was one of the outstanding figures of the New Zealand. Labour movement. His forthright honesty, sincerity of purpose, efficiency, and enthusiasm were a strong contributing factor to the building up of theNew Zealand Workers' Union. u His . appointment to the Upper House was an excellent one," Mr Fraser added, " and I deeply regret that we have 'been deprived of the advantage of his valued . service and advice." _ The Minister of National Service, Mr McLagau. also expressed his .deep sense of the loss which the Labour movement had suffered. He said he had known Mr Cook for many years, and admired him as a stalwart friend of the worker and a man of high ideals and clear vision, i l. +».« Similar regret was expressed by the secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party, Mr M. Moohan.