WORKING OF SHIPS

Evening Star, Issue 25849, 20 July 1946, Page 9

WORKING OF SHIPS

STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN WATERFRONT COMMISSION NEW ARRANGEMENT SHOULD BE SATISFACTORY (P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 19. The chairman of the Waterfront Industrial Commission, Mr Justice Ongley, when asked to comment on the cable statement from London as to the working of ships in New Zealand ports, .stated,,that he.,personally had not yet had time to investigate fully the conditions of work at.the various ports. He did not, at this stage, wish to enter into a Press controversy as to the merits or demerits of the statement. He did believe, however, that the turn-roundi of ships in New Zealand during the war years had compared favourably with that in any other country in the world. A great deal of credit for this was due, Tie said, to those engaged l in the industry, particularly to the Waterfront Control Commission. He wholeheartedly eudorsed the Prime Minister's recent tribute to the work of Messrs Price, Roberts and Howling who- hud constituted', the commission during the war years. He now felt that to embark on a Press controversy as to the statements contained in the London message would only invite charges and counter-charges from the employers and the workers which would not be in the interests of the industry to-day. It was sufficient to say that the newly-formed Waterfront Industry Commission was receiving the cooperation and assistance of the representatives of workers and employers in endeavouring to straighten out matters which were long-standing grievances on both sides, His Honour said ; . He had no doubt whatever that the ultimate outcome would be to the benefit of the workers in the industry, to the employers, and to the country as a whole.' tinder the new arrangements the workers had been given a share in the management of the industry. He was confident that they would face up to the responsibilities placed upon them and that overseas vessels would visit New Zealand iports in the knowledge that the handling of their cargoes would be carried out efficiently and expeditiously.