McLagan, Hislop At Cross Purposes

Northern Advocate, 25 August 1943, Page 2

McLagan, Hislop At Cross Purposes

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. "In spite of Mr. Hislop’s statement to the contrary I can say definitely that at no time during the last two months has there been any application made to the District Manpower Gtlirer, the Controller ut Manpower or myself lor labour for repair anti maintenance oi tramway tracks." said the Minister for industrial Manpower (Mr. Mc-Lagan) yesterday. "It is true that on May 11, 19411, application was made by the Tramways Department for four labourers for work not specifically stated, but these were supplied." After stating what occurred at a meeting on August 10 the Minister said: "I emphatically repeal, that at no time has a request been lodged for labour, male or female, for repair of tramway tracks. At a meeting with the Prime Minister on Friday evening the general manager of the tramways assured me that he was prepat ed to accept the District Manpower Officer's statement on this point. Mr. Hislop, on the other hand, who no doubt for good and sufficient reasons of his own was not present at the meeting, is apparently not prepared to accept this statement as correctly setting out the position. Accusation Denied

"Mr. Hislop’s accusation that, although I knew that the council had asked for a conference with the Prime Minister, I accentuated ihe city council’s difficulties by serving an order on the council directing. it not to engage women ior tram track work, ignores what appears to me to he a point of some importance. Although the town c-lerk did not write to the Prime Minister until August 111 to ask for a conference to discuss the manpower difficulties of the city council, the tramways authorities, apparently without consulting the city council, had earlier gone ahead with the selecting of women lor track repair work and, actually after consulting the council, started them on this work on August Hi without even waiting for a reply from the Prime Minister. In view of the fact that the'tramways committee had thus acted with considerable precipitancy without waiting for difficulties to be discussed with the Prime Minister, 1 had no alternative but to issue the order concerned pending a conference. In the Mayor’s statement he alleges that the tramways committee informed me that 'it intended to keep faith with those (women; already engaged on this essential and urgent work till the Minister supplied men for the job.' Actually the tramways committee informed me that it intended to continue to employ women on track repair work 'so long as they were willing to do it.’ there being no qualification that their employment teas to last only until men were supplied for the work. "Unqualified Defiance”

"The tramways committee’s decision as conveyed to me in a letter signed by the town clerk was unqualified defiance of the direction 1 had given under Section 29 of Ihe Industrial Manpower Emergency Regulations. Apparently the tramways committee decided to involve the city council in this defiance of the regulations without even consulting the city council. And. alter he had been party to that decision of the tramways committee, the Mayor found himself unable to attend a meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss that and other matters the same afternoon. Finally, 1 am afraid I am unable to assist Mr. Hislop if he really fails 1o see why women should not be permitted to undertake labouring work of this nature. But f believe that the citizens of Wellington will understand his reasons and I am able to assure tHo citizens that already six men have been directed to work on tramway track maintenance in place of the six women who have been transferred to more suitable employment and that arrangements have also' been made for further additional male workers m hi' directed 10 this task."