CLOSED DOWN

Hokitika Guardian, 19 March 1940, Page 6

CLOSED DOWN

MR SEMPLE’S CRITICISM.

(Per Press Association —Copyright). : CHRISTCHURCH, March 19. Descending on No. 13 Scheme relief job at the-new Burwood Golf Course this morning, the" Minister oi Public Works, Hon. R. Semple, closed it down on the spot, and sent 57 men employed tliord to their homes. I,<

Addressing the men, the Minister referred iri scathing terms to the amount of work that Was being done by the incit concerned. ' •' ‘‘ •“./ Mr Semple' was'actifig ‘for tlie Miiiistemof Labour, Hon. P. C; Webb. Mr Semple said lie had been in touch with MR Webb by ..telephone, and Mr had approved of ins'action in dismisV ing the men, assuring him of his view that, the time had coine for a “show down.”

SOME STRAIGHT SPEAKING CHRISTCHURCH March 19: “Mr Webb requested me to have a look at this job, anil I have inspected it, and looked up the records. I. nriW want to tell you this jcib will' stop to-night. This country cannot carry the load it is rianying with thereturns it is getting for the money' spent. ' If ‘the irieri do not give 'an adequate return, they are impostors on the public purse, and that is not going to continue. W& give the, high-est-!relief pay and sustenance iri the •wrirld, and that is not mere--than we ’ ought to, if we getri fair go. We expecC' k ‘ fair spirt whert dwH JtQktAAlwi‘ Hekd. [and have we-got jj a ™ [We have not got it on tills jolv aAif t l| suppose the same will he prove<i' 'an "investigation is made on other jobs.’* Mr Semple said the cost per yard on the job was shocking, and it was not hard work'. He understood stopwork riioetings had been held, and tf o’ people had been threatened. Those responsible for that sort of thing would have ariy amount of time to hold jrib control meetings. Leaflets arid poisonous matter had beeh distributed round this-work.

MEN’S POINT OF VIEW

‘ CHRISTCHURCH, March 19,

; Spokesmen for' the" dismissed men •’shid later that- the Minister had; been misled by the employing authority; arid Added tliat they would welcome a public .inquiry; Fifty pehoerit/'of the men had been employed, they said, on, maintenance work; arid ori'ioccasions all of them. The charges regarding seditious propaganda -were completely contrary to fact,Fourteen of the meii had Enlisted .for military service. The committee alleged that the equipment was disgraceful. Some gangs were engaged in shifting soil on stretchers made from sacks/ -it: