WATERSIDE EDGE ON MR SEMPLE REVEALED IN MOTION

Evening Star, Issue 26117, 3 June 1947, Page 4

WATERSIDE EDGE ON MR SEMPLE REVEALED IN MOTION

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 3. A sidelight on the Wanganella trouble is given by a report that a motion recently came before a stopwork meeting of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union asserting that the Minister of Works, Mr Semple, should be “ disciplined and removed from Cabinet,’’ It “ was recommended by the union executive that the motion should be endorsed, and that similar pro-. ' test be made against the High Commissioner, Mr Jordan, in London.

The motion referring to Mr tsemple is described as a protest against the attacks made on the Federal secretary of the Australian Seamen’s Union, Mr Elliott, during the Wanganella dispute. It is recalled that a similar complaint against Mr Semple was made by the seamen’s union of Australia. Mr Semple replied that he was immoved by criticism, and was satisfied to leave it to the public to judge the merit of his services. The complaint againßt Mr Jordati referred to his remarks at the launching pf the Haparangi on Clydeside. Mr Jordan said there was proper machinery for settling industrial troubles in New Zealand, and, expressly referring to waterfront holdups and delays in forwarding supplies to Britain, he said : “ The watersiders may have legitimate grievances, and are entitled to try to settle their disputes, but to impose ftirther suffering on needy Britain is not the way to do it.” The union opinions on Mr Semple and Mr Jordan have been published in the official journal of the Federated Waterside Workers, and have attracted some attention. They are considered to give further point to the differences which developed between the Government rind the .union during the waterfront trouble several months ago, and which were emphasised by the recent controversy between the Minister of Labour, Mr McLagan, and tlio national officials of the union.