MILITANT WANTED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18899, 28 December 1935, Page 5

MILITANT WANTED

SEAMEN'S LEADER NEW SECRETARY CHOSEN STRIKERS* FOOD RELIEF SUMMONS FOR UNION DEREGISTRATION MOVE (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) SYDNEY, Dec. 28. A special meeting of the Seamen's Union yesterday "recalled" Mr. Jacob Johnson from his office as general secretary and appointed the militant strike leader, Mr. Joseph Keenan, to the position, pending the result of the ballot for office bearers, to be. announced in

January. The strike committee is arranging the distribution of food relief to married seamen. The men cannot obtain food relief through Government channels unless they can show, that they are genuinely unemployed. Summonses have been issued by the Industrial Commissioner against the; Seamen's Union calling upon it to showcause why its registration as an industrial union should not be cancelled; also to show cause why the preference claim in the colliers' State award should not be rescinded. The summonses, which are returnable on January 7, arise out of the strike of the crews of the colliers.

The Tasmanian Premier, Mr. A. G. Ogilvie, who is a Laborite, declared that the strike had caused serious - loss to Tasmania, which had been looking forward to a record tourist traffic. His State had always been a heavy loser when transport services with the mainland had been dislocated. He advocated a Commonwealth-owned service for Tasmania, manned with crews enjoying the same conditions as the employees in the public, service. Although there is little doubt that the crew of the Aorangi will give notice upon arrival to-day, the owners do not anticipate much difficulty in obtaining a volunteer crew to enable tlie vessel to sail for Vancouver on January 2..