CONTROL BY UNIONS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20623, 26 November 1941, Page 4

CONTROL BY UNIONS

WAR EFFORT HINDERED MR. SULLIVAN’S VIEW ADDRESS AT RUATORIA (Special to the Herald.) RUATORIA, this day. “The primary producer has got it all over the industrial worker of New Zealand in his contribution to the war effort,” said Mr. W. Sullivan, National candidate in the Bay of Plenty by-election, in an address in Ruaforia last night. “This,” he said, “is not because the industrial worker is unpatriotic or unwilling to do his part—far from it—but the control exercised by trades union secretaries makes it impossible for the industrial worker to do his full Share.”

Mr. Sullivan said that the Hon. P. Webb could well afford to take his hat off to the primary producers for a change, because they were the men who were doing the work. In his own district, where the primary prolucers had changed over from butter to cheese to assist the war effort, they Were handicapped by a shortage of cans caused by lack of material in New Zealand. The reason for this was the depletion of sterling funds prior to the war, and consequent introduction of import control, and because of it farmers were compelled to take their milk to the factory twice a day. He predicted that there would be an influx of population in New Zealand after the war, and said it would be necessary to have a policy that would absorb them into useful occupations. If primary production was fostered, the development of the cities and the expansion of secondary industries would follow automatically. There was a large attendance at the meeting, over which Mr. O. T. Williams presided. Although there were occasional interjections from the back of the hall, Mr. Sullivan received an attentive hearing throughout. A vote of thanks, proposed by Mr. R. W. Ford and seconded by Mr. J. J. Brownlie, was carried by acclamation. Mr. Sullivan will continue his campaign with addresses at Whangara at 2 p.m. and. in Tolaga Bay at 8 p.m, to-morrow.