VISITING M.’s P.

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 July 1944, Page 4

VISITING M.’s P.

TOUR COMPLETED. The tour of the Grey district by Mr. F. Collindridge, member for Barnsley in the British Parliament, and Air. A. Maclnnes, member for Vancouver East in the Canadian Parliament, concluded this morning when, with the Minister of Mines (Mr. Webb) and the Under-Secretary (Mr. Benney), they left for Westport, visiting Runanga and Charleston en route. Yesterday the party inspected the Blackball mine and at noon Mr. Webb opened the new school at Hatter’s Terrace, while at the Blackball School Mr. Maclnnes addressed the pupils. Mr. Collindridge visited Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Knowles, of Blackball, old school-friends. The visitors later met members of the Dobson and Brunner Miners’ Unions, the Mayor (Mr. Gutberlet) presiding. Miners’ cottages at Taylorville were inspected.

The two members of the Parliamentary delegation addressed a meeting at Runanga last evening. The Mayor (Mr. E. W. Kennedy) presiding, and the Minister for Mines (Mr. Webb) accompanied the speakers. Mr. Maclnnes said that through his visiting the West Coast he had a greater opportunity of meeting more of the people in a more intimate way than if he'had accompanied the main party. He had that day inspected a local State mine, which had been of. great interest to him, though he knew nothing of mining, or its. problems. Mr Collindridge said that as a miner from Britain he was glad to have the opportunity of meeting the miners of the West Coast. As the only mining representative in the delegation he was particularly anxious to see how New Zealand managed her splendid social services. “If a disaster occurs in a coal mine, no one stops to consider the conditions or ownership of the mine, but immediately sets to the rescue, and so it should be in the larger sphere-which confronts us to-day. Our best efforts now in the production field will not only aid our own men fighting on the battle fronts, but will bring succour to our Allies. New Zealand has been fairly free from industrial disputes, and those rebels who take advantage of to-day’s conditions to foster trouble will find that it will rebound to their disadvantage after the war. The unofficial strike is a movement in the wrong direction; it is moving backward and not forward.” On the motion of Messrs J. Devine and D. Barnes, the speakers were accorded a vote of thanks. They were later entertained by the Runanga branch of the Labour Party at supper, when short speeches were made.