THE MOTUEKA DISPUTE

Southland Times, Issue 23001, 22 September 1936, Page 8

THE MOTUEKA DISPUTE

THE RIGHT OF FREE SPEECH “MR SEMPLE OFFSIDE” (United Press Association.) Auckland, September 21. “One has heard of the Motueka dispute,” said Mr K. J. Holyoake, M.P. for Motueka, in an address to-night. “It seems that there has been a lot of misunderstanding about it. It is to me a matter of the right of free speech, which Mr Semple, among others, has always fought for in the past. I notice that the workers have been rather incensed by what has occurred, and I agree with the unions which have passed resolutions against Mr Semple. He has put himself offside. “There were 180 men working on the aerodrome from which the resolutions came,” said Mr Holyoake. “That they are a good type of man is shown by the fact that they were earning from 19/- to 24/- a day. Some of them are my own relatives, and they are all jolly good chaps. There was nothing obnoxious or wrong in their resolutions, which were only an expression of their opinions. The resolutions were sent to the secretary, and then, I don’t know why, to Mr Semple. Mr Semple went to the newspapers and referred to Communists right outside the matter, just to find a whipping horse. If Mr Semple has done no more than help to pass such a resolution in his life, then he would not have much to answer for, would he?” UNION CONGRATULATES MR SEMPLE ATTITUDE ENDORSED. (United Press Association.) Wellington, September 21. “The action adopted by the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) in the Motueka public works dispute was that of a statesman of high standing,” says a circular issued by the New Zealand Workers’ Union. The circular, which is signed by the president and secretary, adds: “Mr Semple told the mischief-makers that he would not tolerate their dirty work in his department and he was quite right. The union and 99 per cent, of its membership endorses the manly attitude which he adopted. The Workers’ Union is determined to work in harmony with the Labour Government and the Minister of Public Works.”