APPOINTMENT IS CRITICIZED

Southland Times, Issue 24460, 13 June 1941, Page 6

APPOINTMENT IS CRITICIZED

Union Secretary On Supply Council

(Special) WELLINGTON, June 12 The recent appointment or Mi r. G. Young, secretary of the Auckland Hotel and Restaurant Workers’ Union, to the Supply Council was strongly attacked in the House of Representatives tonight by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr S. G. Holland. Every important committee appointed had been dominated by trades union influence, he said, and the people had demonstrated at a secret ballot three weeks ago what they thought of trades hall control. “Good gracious!” Mr Holland exclaimed, “what is this country coming to when we say the best man m New Zealand to do this highly technical and specialized work on the Supply Council is the Hotel Workers’ Union secretary He may have excellent qualifications for other things, but there are men better qualified and up to date in the importing of goods.” The Minister of Supply (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan): My experience of the man referred to is that he has one of the ablest minds on industrial questions. “This is not an industrial question; it is a trade question,” replied Mr Holland. TT The acting Prime Minister (the Hon. W. Nash): It is a supply question. Mr Holland: I do not think that the secretaryship of the Auckland Hotel Workers’ Union is a qualification for membership of this committee. When discussing earlier the fuller utilization of machines and labour,. Mr Holland said that trades hall domination had seriously infiltrated the industrial life of New Zealand.