Booze-free Public Works Camps

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 87, 13 April 1938, Page 5

Booze-free Public Works Camps

Claim by Mr. Semple

COMMUNISTS WEEDED OUT Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. “For the first time in their history the constructional camps of New Zealand, I am glad to say, are free from booze,” said Hon. R. Semple, Minister of Public Works, in an interview to-day. There might be individual cases throughout the country where liquor was still finding its way into camps, the Minister admitted, but as soon as a whisper of offences against the rules was heard, full investigations were made.

“When we catch those responsible, they have to look for other jobs,” said Mr. Semple. “Only recently 15 men on Plijnmerton-Paekakariki road were found guilty of bringing liquor into camp and they were discharged on the spot. We are cleaning out the camps and removing from them the opprobium of being booze-dens and gamoung dens.”

The dismissal of men with Communistic activities was also mentioned by the Minister. Very little trouble was now being met from Communists, he said, because most of them had been weeded out and fired out. He wanted men to go on to jobs to give service, not to play the fool. He would not stand for disruptive activity in camps, at every one of which he visited he made inquiries from engineers as to disaffection among the men. “If men have a legitimate grievance, we will go all the distance to put it right,” said Mr. Semple. Men could make their complaints through the union to the engineer, through him to the district engineer and as a last avenue of redress to the Minister. There was activity in every part of the country, said Mr. Semple, and the men were happy, contented and pulling their weight.