PROMPT ACTION BY POLICE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 64, 17 March 1942, Page 3

PROMPT ACTION BY POLICE

INQUIRY INTO ALLEGED STATEMENT (P.A.) Wellington, March 16. Police inquiries were ordered on Saturday afternoon into a statement alleged to have been macle by a union organiser to factory workers in Manawatu. The matter was brought under the notice of the Prime Minister by the Mayor of Palmerslon North, Mr. E. A. Mansford, who sent a telegram asking that in quiry be made. “The statement alleged was as follows: “Hullo, you slaves. Still working for lour or five pounds a week? I can get you £lO a week in Wellington for half the work. Why don’t you strike?” Mr. Mansford contended in his telegram that such a statement was most serious and likely to have grave i esuits. “I received Mr. Mansford's telegram about 1 p.m. on Saturday,” said the Hon. P. Fraser to-day, "and immediately got in touch with him on the telephone and told him that the matter of the alleged statement by a trade union secretary would be immediately taken up by the Police Commissioner. The police were issued instructions and immediately detectives visited the cheese factory in question and carried out inquiries on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately Mr Mansford had not informed me that he had handed or intended to hand his telegram to the press on Saturday afternoon. He also overlooked the obvious desirability of informing the press of my prompt verbal answer to aim and the instant instructions were issued to the police. Mr. Man.ford assured me to-day that he proposed to remedy this oversight.”