PAY FOR NO WORK

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24827, 25 February 1944, Page 2

PAY FOR NO WORK

WHARF LABOURERS AN AMAZING CASE TAXPAYER TOE VICTIM Four gangs of Auckland waterside workers were paid yesterday for work done by American soldiers in the load-" ing of an American vessel The payment ivas at the rate of 8s 4d an hour fo: five, hours' work done by the sol- ' <liers and totalled about £l5O. By agreement between the Waterfront Control Commission and the New Zealand Waterside "Workers' Union late in December it was decided that no work should fie done on wharves' after five o'clock on Saturday and ■Sunday evenings. The United States authorities were not a party to this agreement and its change back to the former status has been requested and is now under consideration. Last Saturday it was imperative that an American vessel should be turned round as quickly as possible and to ■ ensure this it was necessary to ..work between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. .that day. The union was approached with a request that waterside workers should waive their rule and work from 6 p.rn. to 11 p.m. When this request was refused the union was asked if it would provide men to -work the winches. This also was refused. An. intimation was then given that, in view of the urgency of the case, the work would be continued that night by American soldiers. Consent to this arrangement was given by the union on condition tiiat the gangs who worked the ship durine the day would be paid the Saturdav evening rates for the hours which the soldiers worked. It. is the contention of I waterside workers thai once they have ; been engaged.Tor a ship all the work- ' ing hours for'discharging and loading ; be:oug to them. If other labour were I used the waterside workers would.lose i the work and the pay. The Waterfront | Control Commission approved the use i of soldiers in this particular case. | The conditions of the union had to ! be accepted as it was imperative that I the ship with its troops and urgently- | needed supplies be sent forward io the | combat area without delay. Over '24 j hours of time in the departure of the i ship were saved by the work which the | soldiers did. This saving in time was ' considered to be vital. | As with all other work for the i Americans this payment to the water- ; side workers becomes a charge on the | New Zealand taxpayer under reverse | lend-lease. I WASTE PAPER CASE i | BREACH OF REGULATIONS -—■—- PROSECUTION AT HAMILTON j (0.C..) HAMILTON, Thursday ; The first case of its kind heard in | New Zealand was dealt with by Mr. S. j L. Paterson. S.M., in Hamilton to-dav, | when a restaurant-keeper, Baden j Ernest Hedges, admitted a charge of | mixing waste paper with potato peel- ; ings, tins and tea leaves, contrary to j the Factory Emergency Regulations, I 1939. Mr. King, who prosecuted for the | National Committee of Waste Materia!, ; said that defendant was liable to a | penalty of £2OO and imprisonment for | failing to comply with the regulations. : The collection of waste material was j carried out by voluntary patriotic I boards, who in the last two and a-half I years had collected 12.000 tons of waste I material in the North Island. Ini stances had occurred where razor blades, carbon papers and greasy paper ; had been found in good waste and had ? done much damage to the repulped I product. The defendant had displayed : arrogance when questioned, but no penalty was sought. The case' was brought as a warning. Defendant was convicted and ordered j to pay the costs and solicitor's fee. LOCAL AND GENERAL i Red Cross Appeal A street appeal by the Auckland city sub-centre of the Red Cross Society, to obtain funds to replace stocks lost in ! the fire in the society's rooms in Com- ; tnerce Street on February 10, will be held in the city and suburbs to-day. It will be known as the fiie replacement comforts fund. The fire, which occurred early in the morning, destroyed materials, stocks and equipment valued at £'9139. Appropriate Hymns Hymns chosen before a church service often work in with unexpected appropriateness, according to Mr. C. Foster Browne, speaking at a luncheon iof the Christehurch Businessmen's ! Club. Hp related that during a service j in the Christehurch Cathedral the dean I announced, "The preacher here next j Sunday will be The choir j.m- ---■ mediately afterwards commenced sing-, ling "God moves in a mysterious way j His wonders to perform." I Leap Year Celebration For three residents of Auckland a leap ; year brings a special celebration. Mr. K. W. Alison, "of 'fakapuna, Mr. Walter Pavitt, of Remuera, and Mr. L. ,J. Minogue, of -Mi I ford, will _ follow i a custom of past years by meeting oil February 29, the day of their rare birth- ■ days, to lunch together. Mr. Alison, j who is well known for the active part ; he played in local and State politics, ' will be 92, Mr. Pavitt, who was Aiftk- | land manager of the Royal Insurance i Company for many years, will be i 6, land Mr. Minogue will be 48. ; Mistakes in Affidavits ! "The Court has to call attention too ' frequently to careless mistakes in affi- ! davits," said Mr. Justice Fair in the ! Supreme Court yesterday. "An affii davit is intended to secure that tea j person making it is really making a j statement that- can be relied on. and, j it is the duty of all solicitors to proceed with care. In this case the soliciI tors preparing the affidavit for execu- ' tion have made two serious mistakes. . i The solicitor who appeared in the pro-j j ceedings referred to the strain under j which the profession was a* ! the present time, but agreed that these 1 mistakes should not have occurred. [ Luggage Left Behind j The departure of the afternoon -ex- ! press for Wellington yesterday was dej fayed 17 minutes by the arrival about j two minutes beiore the scheduled time | for leaving of a large consignment ot priority goods for which carrying pro- : vision ' had not .been made. Luggage ' from one of the two vans was removed to make room for the consignment and i the reloading was carried out in & | remarkably short time by porters ana members of the torces. However, ! large number of bags and other goods, ! including two pushchairs and a peram- ; hulator. all of which were consigned to | North island towns, were left on the j platform and will be forwarded as soon as possible. Duty of Employers The duty of employers to notify the armed forces appeal boards office i© mediately men who had militar obligations or who were held the forces on appeal, left their emp oy> was emphasised by the chairman ot t No. 1 board, Mr. C. R. Orr \Valke£|; S.M.. vesterdav. The chairman s rt*|.. marks 'were made during the hearing/; of appeals by Ambury's, Limited C m Stanton), against the military I of 21 emplovees. The manager, Mr. 'j, C Neil, asked leave to withdraw sej.J> oral appeals in cases where reseni?" • had changed their employment. (4 the permission of the district-\ W' ~- i power officer. Many employers.- • ■ , j the chairman, appeared to hayfj j erroneous impression that they . j only to notify the manpower,° a when men left their employ, and result a number of young and e - <* men escaped military service.