NZ Cargo in USA Ships
p. 40 · Read in the full issue
Auckland Watersiders Surrender After Long Fight
THE Waterside Workers and the Sea man’s Union of Auckland, New Zealand, in April, graciously per mitted the Matson liners to load, in Auckland, foodstuffs for transportation to Australia, Fiji and elsewhere. At last, after long years of argument, perishable goods from N.Z. are being carried in the American ships.
It appears that, originally, the Auck land dock workers and seamen decided that they would support British shinning, as against American shipping, and they refused to handle any goods from New Zealand consigned to Australian or Pacific ports which, in their opinion, could be carried by British ships. The officials of the Matson Line felt pretty strongly about the matter but, as the warm-hearted unionists were sunported by the New Zealand Labour Govern ment, nothing could be done about it.
In recent times, however, owing to the acute shortage of British shipping there has been an increasing demand for re frigerated space on the Matson liners — especially for cargo for Australia and for Fiji. Fiji, especially was in a bad way—the merchants there most urgently wanted fruit, vegetables dairy pro ducts and meat from New Zealand, but, owing to the Auckland waterside embargo, the only way in which they could get supplies was to have them shipped first to Australia in British vessels, and thence re-shipped in the Matson liners from an Australian port to Suva. Appeals were made to the New
Zealand Government and the Union, but all in vain. The fact that America and American shipowners are our only allies, now, seemed to be ignored.
Finally, the position became intoler able, and the most urgent represen tations were made in Wellington. The Government, which had given a flat re fusal on March 7 to a request that foodstuffs for Fiji be shipned on the Matson liner, surrendered on March 19, and soon afterwards the American liners were receiving cargo in Auckland.
The lifting of the ban was a great re lief to Fiji. Ever since the hurricane, vegetables, fruit, etc., had been in short supply in Suva, and the merchants there had to get shipments all the way from Australia.