DOCKERS' STRIKE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25347, 31 October 1945, Page 8

DOCKERS' STRIKE

SOME VOTE TO RESUME

FURTHER USE OF TROOPS RETORT TO MINISTER By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Reed. 11.10 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 30 The dockers afc Tilbury have voted to go buck to work on certain conditions. The Minister of War Transport, Mr Alfred Barnes, has announced that troops will work in all docks throughout the country where strikes are in progress. The Grimsby and Immingham dockers did not return to work after their meeting yesterday, at which it ■was suggested that the vote for returning was not representative. The strikers' leader. Mr Tom Powell, addressing a meeting of London dockers described the statement liy the -Minister of Education, Miss hllon Wilkinson, as "an outburst by an hysterical woman." ( Ho said it was true that dockers children, as Miss Wilkinson said, could tell their fathers when the St. Lawrence Jijver froze, but they could also tell Mws Wilkinson about conditions in the dock industry causing a hold-up oi food fillips. Miss Wilkinson said bread would have to be rationed in_ Britain this winter unless grain ships could be tinned round quickly enough to get to Canada and away again before the St. Lawrence liiver froze.

VIOLENCE IN SYDNEY 'AHMED CRIME INCREASES POLICE FORCE SHORTAGE (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent) SYDNEY, Oct. 30 The past few weeks have seen an alarming increase in crimes of armed violence in Sydney, amply justifying the warning issued some time ago by the Commissioner of Police on the danger of such an outbreak after the war. Twenty-four cases of assault bv gunmen and thugs have been reported in the past fortnight. The police say that most of Sydney's criminals are armed, and as many are running short of money, underworld gun battles are expected any day now. "One thousand more police are needed immediately to combat the crime wave," said a high police officer. "At present the force is 500 under strength, and resignations are expected to weaken it further." It is stated that Sydney's Police Force is "seething with discontent" and resignations are "pouring in." One police officer said the detectives and uniformed men were working long overtime, trying to beat off the crooks. "The "police take more risks than any other member of the Public Service and are mostly poorly paid," added the officer. "With the number of guns in circulation among crooks the policeman is likely to forfeit his life. For this he receives 18s 7d, less tax, a day after 12 months' service. After all the deductions from his pay the policeman fets threepence a day more than a asic wage earner." Criticising the State Government for delay in acting upon the Police Cotn- ! missioner's warning and in the enlistment, and training of police recruits, the Sydney Morning Herald in an editorial says: "If a wave of anarchy is to be averted the Police Commissioner must be given every facility to assist htm in building up the force as quickly as possible." The Premier of New South Wales, Mr W. J. McKell, and the Commissioner of Police will discuss enlistments to the Police Force to combat the crime wave today.

; RESTORING HEALTH UNRRA'S 1176 SPECIALISTS (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 20 With 1176 health specialists working in Europe, Unrra is now conducting the largest international medical relief operation in history, according to Dr N. M. Goodman, director of Unrra's European Health Division. Dr Goodman added that the relationship between health and work •was demonstrated in Greece, where, whenever Unrra rid a rural area of malaria, its productivity increased by 40 per cent. "However, we quickly realised that combating diseases was not enough, because the morale of a largo proportion of the patients had utterly crumbled," he said. "Some would even sit down •with their backs against a pile of corpses to eat food. Former slaveworkers during the first stages of recovery seemed merely to vegetate, They would, sit in the sun for hours doing nothing, or wander about in dazed happiness, with a bunch of flowers in their hand. We would often find them hiding a herring or a bit of bread in their bedclothes. "We have found that good treatment creates no desire to stay in the camps indefinitely. On the contrary, as we restore health and mental stability, these war victims become eager to face the problems of life in their home countries." FEEDING THE WORLD CHANCE FOR CO-OPERATION (Seed. 6.30 P.m.) QUEBEC, Oct. 30 Sir John Orr, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, said the organisation would bo the first great test of international co-operation in peace. It would be an answer to the atomic bomb because in a well fed world there would bo no will to war. He personally hoped to see a world ■wheat pool from which arrangements could be made to spread surpluses into areas where there were shortages. There should be n store against possibles shortages and the use of excess supplies for processing and other useful purposes. Sir John vigorously assailed "the nineteenth century economics of scarCity," which lie said still dominated some parts of the world. He called for an etui to the policy outproducing food only to meet an economic demand. BRITISH IN PRAGUE PIPERS "STEAL THUNDER" PRAGUE, Oct. 20 .A detachment of British troops with pipers "stole the thunder" in an Allied military parade before 50,000 spectators at the Masaryck Stadium, when historic Czech battle flags, which the Germans were never able to find, were restored to 1000 assembled Czech recruits. The President of Czechoslovakia, Dr Benes addressing the gathering, said: Czechoslovakia stands in the middle between East and West. It is our mission to prevent differences." STEREOSCOPIC X-RAY LONDON, Oct. 20 1 lie medical section of the R.A.F. Investigation flight has discovered in the Biitish zone in Genii an y information regarding a stereoscopic X-ray ■which gives surgeons three-dimensional pictures; of limbs. It greatly facilitates the location and removal of shell fragments. and is extremely useful for reducing comminuted fractures.