Editorial Note

We have printed the letter —crude, mis spelled, ungrammatical and abusive — exactly as we received it. Could any better evidence be supplied of the methods and character of the “Trades Hall boss”?

The writer of the article which aroused the union secretary’s ire makes the follow ing necessary comments: — Quite as much credit is due to Burns Philp & Co., Dtd., as to the Association, for the peaceful conditions aboard the Islands ships—the firm has been just as con ciliatory and reasonable in its treatment of staff as the union is admitted to be. But that has nothing to do with the point at issue.

This writer has travelled widely, and he will say that there are no more courteous and efficient stewards anywhere than those

aboard B.P. ships. That, also, has nothing to do with the point at issue.

This writer, who is not accustomed to dining at the hour of 6 p.m. has been driven in to dinner repeatedly aboard B.P. steam ers in the manner described. Also—for this union secretary’s information —he has a lively recollection of seeing a party of Mel bourne tourists trying to induce the B.P. steamer’s kitchen staff to cook some fine fish which had just been caught. The kitchen staff refused, and protected them selves behind some union rule. The fish were thrown overboard —and a few hours later we were served with “fish” that had been carried from Sydney in the freezer.

Furthermore, has this union secretary ever heard of what happens not infre quently to lonely officials and planters who come aboard B.P. steamers in isolated ports at somewhat irregular hours, hoping eagerly to obtain a civilised meal? If not, he is recommended to listen-in, some time, to the frank opinion of those gentlemen concerning union rules.

I see no reason to alter one word of the opinions expressed in the June article. The attack was not on the stewards, individually or collectively, but was directed at a rotten system. The point is that no ship ping comparfy, which has to submit to such conditions, can hope to compete quite suc cessfully against companies not on the Australian register, and whose passengers are not asked to suffer the same incon veniences.

I am delighted to observe that this union secretary, among other things, is a judge of journalism. That must be a great com fort to his more intimate associates.

At the quarterly meeting of the com mittee of the Pacific Islands Association, in July, Mr. E. A. James, proprietor of the Papuan Courier, Port Moresby, and Mr. Raymond J. Sands, chartered accoun tant (Aust.), Sydney, were elected to membership.