ON AUCKLAND WHARVES

Grey River Argus, 14 March 1940, Page 8

ON AUCKLAND WHARVES

Anti-War Inscriptions POSTED ON CARGOES FOR BRITAIN. - AUCKLAND, March 13. The Naval Authorities are taking the most serious view of the discovery. in overseas- steamers at Auckland, of stickers bearing anti-war inscriptions. Suitable action, the nature of which has not yet 'been disclosed, is contemplated. A grave aspect of the matter is that unauthorised persons can gain access to these ships. When an officer was examining the hold of a ship loading butter, he discovered that a yellow sticker, bearing the words: “Fight against Conscription and Imperialist War!” had been pasted on the temperature tube. This sticker is purported to have been issued by the Auckland Central Branch of the Communist Party. Further investigations showed that on about one butter box in every 30 a sticker had been pasted. Stickers were also found on produce awaiting transhipment from railway trucks to the vessel, but none was noticed when the trays of butter were lifted from the wharf. It is considered likely, therefore, That the stickers were pasted on the boxes in the ship’s hold, when the official supervision had momentarily been removed.

Although all of the stickers that were found were destroyed, it is considered that many of them will reach England, as it would be necessary to unload the cargo already loaded in order to remove every one.

Stickers have also been found in the engine room, the crew’s quarters, and in other parts of the ship. Similar stickers are reported to have been seen on several overseas ships which left Auckland last month.

Slrong Feeling at Auckland WATERSIDERS’ UNION NOT RESPONSIBLE. AUCKLAND, March 12. The discovery in the hold of an overseas steamer at Auckland of stickers bearing anti-war inscriptions, pasted on boxes of butter loaded for Britain, has created a strong feeling among many sections on the waterfront. A serious view is taken of the propaganda, as it is considered that a wrong conception of New Zealand’s attitude to the war will be given British dock workers and the public generally through the actions of isolated individuals in Auckland. An officer examining the hold of the ship during loading operations discovered that a yellow sticker bearing the words, “Down with conscription and the imperialistic war,” had been pasted on a temperature tube in the hold. The sticker was signed by the Auckland branch of the Communist Party. According to the officers and shipping officials many more similar stickers were found pasted on boxes of produce in the ho’d. They were removed and destroyed; but it is thought possible that several hundred may be on boxes loaded earlier and: not exposed to examination at present.

Although the stickers have been found .on produce awaiting transhipment from railway trucks to the vessel, none has been noticed when trays of butter boxes have been lifted from the wharf. It is therefore considered likely that they were pasted on the ooxes in the hold when official supervision had been momentarily removed. Possible Danger to Ship. In addition to the serious view taken of the danger of misleading propaganda, the opinion is also held that the fact that a person could paste stickers unobserved in the hold might constitute a danger to the safety of the ship and her complement from other reasons. On this ground the attention of the naval authorities has been drawn to the matter. An officer of the vessel said that many leaflets bearing propaganda on similar lines to that on the stickers had been given to members of the crew. “Thg crew destroyed them without even bothering to read them,” he commented. “The matter has been under the consideration of the Auckland Shipping and Stevedores’ Association,” said Captain Lewis, chairman of the organisation, when the position was j referred to him. “We have taken ■ steps, to ensure that the men who I discharge the ships .in England—a! very loyal body of men—are not under the impression that the goods are being loaded in New Zealand by men who hold Communist ideas. A large majority of the men hold no such belief.” The Auckland branch of the Water- j side Workers’ Union officially said | that the placing of the stickers had i not been done with the knowledge or consent of the union I