SEAMEN’S CONDITIONS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17125, 4 December 1929, Page 7

SEAMEN’S CONDITIONS

N.Z.’S GOOD POSITION AUSTRALIAN extremists (ftpecitol to tin* Herald.) AUCKLAND, Ibis dny. Sen men in Now Zealand work under much better conditions than their fellows in Australia;, according to Air. Robert F. Bell, overseas representative of the British Seamen’s Union, who returned to Auckland by the Maungnnui after a short visit, to the'Commonwealth. Air. 801 l said effort's were being made to crush the socialistic section of the Australian Seamen’s Union, but there remained much work to be done by sane unionists for the protection of their organisation. Australian seamen were gradually learning that saue methods were surest. The fact that many of them were out. of work was one of the factors that was bringing the men to their senses, and making them realise the necessity for being reasonable in their demands. The Seamen’s Union was making a determined effort to .stabilise conditions, but the antagonistic ami unscrupulous methods adopted l|y the minority Socialist section wore causing considerable trouble. This section had been the centre of disaffection in Australia', and- had caused untold harm. The men who Comprised it called themselves Commuhists, but a majority of them had loss tided Of .the iffeanihg of comintuasm th:ln the, most conservative capitalist.' They jwere’ ‘‘sollists.” They fply th'eljt.-bbfn individual ends all the ‘ time,' and : not bothering one scrap about others. New Zealand appeared to be the one green patch in the seamen ’s world as yet untouched by any major trouble, but from what he’had heard from private sources the activities of so walled Communists might soon he directed against .the Dominion in'an attempt to bankrupt and break down all sound organisation. If the seamen wanted to protect their own interests they would adhere to the principles of sane unionism and turn a deaf ear to the flood of insidious propaganda which would be let loose.