GOODS NOT LANDED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23192, 11 November 1938, Page 10

GOODS NOT LANDED

PLIGHT OF BIPORTEBS STOCKS FOR CHRISTMAS SPEEDY HANDLING NEEDED A possible dislocation, of Christmas trnde is one of tho main fears entertained by Auckland importing interests as a result of the waterfront dispute. Kvery day that the hold-up continues means accumulating losses for importers and serious inconvenience for retailers, who, at this time of the year, are normally engaged in handling their Christinas stocks. Tho difficulties experienced by importers were stressed yesterday by Mr. 11. W. Shackelford, chairman of tho local branch of the United Kingdom Manufacturers' Association. Importers of goods from Great Britain, he said, were placed in a most serious position, with difficulties even more pronounced in tho case of wholesalers than they were in tho case of indent agents. Risk of Heavy Losses

"It seems to us," said Mr. Shackelford, "that these disputes always occur at a time of the year when they can cause tho greatest degree of harm to legitimate trading interests. Goods ordered in advance for the Christmas trade are now arriving at Auckland and it is imperative that they should be cleared as rapidly as possible in order that they can be delivered to tho retailers. These goods are almost exclusively seasonal in character and if they miss tho Christmas season they have to bo hold in stock for a full year, with the certainty of heavy losses."

Momentary inconvenience waa only one aspect of the problem, Mr. Shackelford continued. The cost of handling cargo in New Zealand was already disproportionately high, but when the cost of delays through industrial disputes was added to the ordinary labour costs tho position became much more serious. Trade interests could not carry theso losses in perpetuity, and United Kingdom manufacturers might find themselves in the position where the New Zealand market no longer represented a commercial proposition. "Tho existing state of affairs is really . intolerable," Mr. Shackelford added. "Innocent parties aro being mado to suffer and the normal channels of trade are being wilfully blocked. The time has certainly arrived when tho Government should tako firm and decisive action in the matter."

Suggested Government Action A suggestion that the Government should take action under sections 124 and 127 of tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, providing for the de-registration of unions, was made yesterday by the Bureau of Importers in a telegram to the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong. The bureau pointed out that recommendations of the Federation of Labour and of tho Minister himself had been ignored by tho local union and that full support would be accorded to the Government in any action taken to bring about a resumption of trade. _ The sections of tho Act which, it is suggested, might be invoked, empower the Arbitration Court to inflict penalties on any persons who are parties to a strike. If the majority of members of an industrial union are parties to a strike, the union, under tho law, is deemed td have instigated tho strike and power exists for its registration to bo cancelled for a period of two years. During that period no further registration of a union in the same industry can be granted in tho industrial district concerned.

LOSS TO COMMUNITY STOPPAGES OF WORK MANUFACTURERS* PROTEST i "If industry is to meet the needs of the people, it must have freedom from stoppages of work owing to industrial disputes," said Mr. H. W. Shove, in his presidential address at the annual meeting yesterday of the Auckland Manufacturers' Association. He said that* in the past week there had been a great loss to the community owing to the action of three largo sections of workers, who had chosen industrial warfare when peaceful method* of negotiation were still open. Such action did not appear to bo the way to build a happy and prosperous stato. "The action of the Auckland waterside workers seems particularly deplorable," ho continued. '.'Already some factories aro feeling the lack of certain vital raw materials, and if this hold up continues the result must bo serious unemployment and a grave setback to business." Mr. Shove pointed out that the situation was anomalous, as tho machinery in New Zealand for tho handling of tho demands of workers, was considered to bo equal to anything of its kittd in the world, while it had tho backing of a Government pledged to secure for tho wage earner the greatest possible share of the good things of lifo.