WATERSIDE LABOUR.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18443, 29 March 1922, Page 5

WATERSIDE LABOUR.

IS IT SKILLED? IS A BLACK MAN AS GOOD AS A WHITE MAN? AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON. March 28. The question of the degree of skill required by a waterside worker in handling cargoes, and as to whether a white man is better qualified for that class of labour than a black man, was discussed between the bench and the advocate for the Waterside Workers’ Union (Mr J. Roberts) in the course of the hearing of the waterside dispute to-day. In opening his evidence on Monday, Captain Walton had expressed the opinion mat waterside labour was unskilled. He had pointed out that in other parts of the world it was carried out Dy native labour.

Mr Roberts contended that skilled wonk was such as required a lengthy period of apprenticeship. Mr Justice Frazer s.. J. the court quite realised that different degrees of experience or skill might be required tor certain classes of work on wharves.

Mr Roberts said that most of the waterside workers in Wellington were perhaps seamen who went to sea at 16 years of age. Although they were not actually apprenticed, they served apprenticesnip in thvir work before they became able seamen. Whether able seamen might be termed skilled or not was a point he would like explained by the Court. His Honour said he could only answer the question in one way. Certain work on the waterfront approximated more nearly to skilled trades. Until the Court learned what those particular jobs were, it could not express an opinion. He preferred to think that a white man was the better workman.

Mr Roberts: He is superior. Captain Walton thinks the white man is interior.

His Honour said he hoped the while man would retain his superiority. Witness had slated that stevedoring work was not skilled in the sense in which the clause under discussiion meant. To back up the statement he had stated that he had seen native races employed in the same work.

Mr Roberts saifi he had seen a native race herded about in Austra.a. To suggest that local workers were on the same level rather stained them.

Captain Walton said he had not said such a thing. His Honour. 1 tnink Captain Walton will tell you he did not mean -uything like that. We know native races have produced very skilled tradesmen and professional men. Ordinary skilled labour in foreign ports is. I think, performed by men not of the skilled profession or qualified tradesmen ciass. It is done more by what is known as the coolie class, the class or labour that is generally considered unskilled. There is a degree of expertness that is sometimes called skilled. Although pick and shovel work is generally regarded as unskilled, there is yet a certain degree of expertness in It. After further discussion the subject: dropped, and Mr Roberts proceeded with his cross-examination.