MR HILL’S REPLY TO MR McLAGAN

Grey River Argus, 20 May 1947, Page 5

MR HILL’S REPLY TO MR McLAGAN

Alleged “Red Herring” WELLINGTON, May 19. There was much more behind the statements of Mr McLagan than the belated bickering over the meeting on April 30, said the Waterside Union president, Mr H. Barnes, and the secretary, Mr T. Hill, to-day. “The attadk on the watersiders’ leadership ip designed to divert attention from the struggle which is expected at the New Zealand Federation of Labour conference on June 3 over the general wage increase question and on other proposals regarding stabilisation,” said Mr Barnes in a telephone interview. Mr Hill described the controversy as a distraction which had been “rather curiously timed.” He believed the ordering out incident which occurred some weeks ago and was* considered closed after' the union met the Cabinet, had been reviewed by the Minister for reasons best known to himself. It was impossible to escape the conclusion that the affair was related to the important and contentious issues which were shortly to come before the Federation of Labour and the Labour Party.

He would not resort to quibbling about- a solitary incident, although that seemed to be the, Minister’s inclination, Mr Hill continued. He would say that the Minister’s recollection of what the Prime Minister had stated later was defective. Mr Fraser had clearly said that the orderin* - out incident should never have occurred. The Minister’s reference to the "vaunted no-confidence motion” in

him, allegedly carried by the water* siders, was an interesting example of faulty statement, Mr Hill said. The Minister had merely been invited to attend a meeting of the Auckland branch to show why such a motion should not be carried. f “While the Minister says he read my statement with some amusement,” said Mr Hill, “the length and nature of his reply do not reflect an amused attitude of mind. The Minister has resorted to strange tactics by referring to statements allegedly made by me to the Cabinet in private. “This is a precedent. It seems we will have to ’ consider making press announcements about future consultations with the Government.” IF THE CAP FITS Mr Barnes confirmed what Mr Hill said in this connection. The epithets hurled at the waterside officials 1 were direct and personal. He said his own article in the official publication of the union mentioned no names, but to those who complained about what he said his reply was, “If the cap fits then they are at liberty to wear it.”

There was no doubt, he said that the waterside officials were ordered from the room on April 30, and the Minister pointed to the door. The union had sought to have calm and reasoned discussions. There was now an attempt to “smear” Mr Hill, continued Mr Barnes. It resembled the tactics used against the waterside officials before the Feedration of Lgbour. The union had every confidence in Mr Hill and had no confidence in the allegations against him.

“I said to our critics on that occasion that they had scraped and scoured the gutters of Wellington to get mud to throw at us,” said Mr Barnes. It seems that the process has not stopped. We watersiders are No. 1 target. In bringing the trade union movement into line, we are the main objective.' We have had promises made to us 1 ove a number of years that the Government believed in increased worker-control of industry, and that we could do the job. I doubt the sincerity of these promises. “We still hope that reason will prevail and that a scheme will be brought down in the interests of the public. Whether we resume the negotiations with Mr McLagan will be decided by our national executive.”

The Government stands for Government control of industry exercised through a commission. It will not in any circumstances agree to worker control of any industry in- New Zealand. This, according to the national president of the Waterside Workers’ Union (Mr. H. Barnes) is what the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. P. Fraser), told representatives of the union on Thursday before the meeting of the Cabinet.

Mr Barnes denied that the union demanded the removal fo the Hon. A. McLagan as Minister of Labour.

“On the contrary,” Mr. Barnes said “Mr. McLagan offered to resign before our representatives and the Cabinet.”

Mr. Barnes said that after the protracted negotiations with the Minister of Labour on the question of workers’ representation on the proposed new commission to control the waterfront industry, which culminated in the meeting with the Cabinet on Thursday, the union had now advised the Government that the least degree of representation on the commission consistent with all-in contracting proposed by the Government, which would be acceptable to the union, was equal representation with the Government. “If the Government cannot meet us along these lines, we will recommend to dur members that we fix work by direct negotiation with the our rates of pay and conditions of shipping .companies,” added Y'Mr, Barnes.