Waterfront Authority— MESSRS BARNES AND HILL ARE DISMISSED

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 September 1949, Page 3

Waterfront Authority— MESSRS BARNES AND HILL ARE DISMISSED

WELLINGTON, Sept 2 (P.A.).— “Because of their misconduct while members of the Authority,” Messrs H. Barnes and T. Hill have been removed from office as members of the Waterfront Industry Authority. , This was announced this evening by the Minister of Labour (Mr A. McLagan.) Mr McLagan said that the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union had been informed that, because of this misconduct, the removed members—Messrs Barnes and Hill—would no longer be deemed to be eligible for membership of the Waterfront Industry Authority, or of the Waterfront Industry Commission. Plebiscite Vote , Mr McLagan added that the Government had given consideration to the .request of the national executive of the Waterside Workers’ Union for the calling together of the Waterfront Industry Authority. Cabinet had decided that commission control of the waterfront ■ industry would be continued, provided members of the union indicated by a plebiscite vote their desire that such control should be continued and gave their collective undertaking to accept and abide by

all decisions of the Waterfront Industry Authority, subject, of course, to the right of appeal to the Authority from decisions of the commission. The New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union, Mr McLagan said, had been advised of the Government’s decision. “On the necessary assurances being given the union will be invited to submit nominations for appointment as members of the Waterfront Industry Authority,” he said. “Meetings of the Authority can then be resumed as soon as the vacancies have been filled.” Mr Hill’s Comments “Nobody gazes into crystals,” said Mr Hill this evening, when asked to prophesy the result on the waterfront of Mr McLagan’s decision. Mr Hill told a reporter at 8.45 p.m. that he had just then received a telegram advising him of his dismissal. Mr Hill then said he had no comment to make on the action taken, but 40 minutes earlier he had told the same reporter that the pattern adopted followed the lines of what had been done in Australia. Then two waterside leaders, Messrs Healy and Roach, had been dismissed and the Watersiders’ Union had been asked to nominate men to replace them. The union had refused. Then the Government had instituted a new authority of its devising, Mr Hill said. Forty minutes later Mr Hill said that after thinking the matter over he had no comment to make in the meantime. , Mr Barnes said he had no comment to make when he was approached in Auckland this evening. He said he had already received the news in a telegram from Wellington. _