NZ Reds Howl At NZ Government Over

Cook Is. Events

THE files of the New Zealand news papers, between early December and the end of the month, show that reports of the events In the Cook Islands, as described above by the “PIM” cor respondent, reached NZ in a more or less garbled form.

The NZ newspapers devoted innumer able columns of space to the subject, covered by such sensational headings as “Friction in Islands over Loading of ‘Maui Pomare’,” “Federation Opposes Waterside Union in Cook Islands,” “Is lands Strikers Held in Chains,” “Ban on Ship Would Injure Islanders, says Prime

Minister,” “Islanders Were Not Chained, Mr. Fraser Tells Mr. Barnes,” etc.

It would appear that there were two

politico-industrial organisations interest

ing themselves in the Cook Islands affair —the Waterside Workers Union, which seems to be Communist dominated at any rate, its tactics are entirely Com munist and the New Zealand Federa tion of Labour, which generally supports the NZ Socialist Government. The Watersiders made common cause with the Cook Islands Progressive Association, while the Federation of Labour took the side of the Cook Islands Workers Union, The Watersiders, through two officials,

Barnes and Hill, put up a really remark able performance. They accused the Government and everyone else who opposes the CIPA in Rarotonga of all sorts of evil practices, from arresting helpless natives to assaulting and chain ing strikers in Manihiki. They screamed abuse, demanded public inquiries, and generally foamed at the mouth; and the newspapers encouraged them by pub lishing every foolish word they uttered.

Their accusations, inquiries by radio phone in Rarotonga, Government replies, followed by further irresponsible accu sations, and further inquiries, occupied several days during which the Gov ernment-owned “Maui Pomare” was ly ing off Cook Islands ports, incurring heavy losses (which the NZ taxpayers have to bear).

THE Socialist Prime Minister, for once, took a firm line, and flatly refused to order any “inquiry.” He issued the following statement concerning the trouble that occurred on Manihiki, when the Donald Company’s schooner arrived, and sought waterside labourers for un loading; “When some non-members of the as sociation were selected by the shipowners’ representative the members of the Cook Islands Progressive Association left the job. When the others carried on with the work the members of the Cook Is lands Progressive Association laid hands on them forcing them back into the boats and preventing them from landing the goods, and there was general fighting.

“To restore order the clerk in charge at Manihiki ordered the arrest of the assailants, and, with two police, one nolice helper and three returned soldiers, restored order. One of the arrested per sons was handcuffed to a post, one mem ber was tied to a post with twine, and 12 were squatted on the Court-house verandah in the care of the police helper.

All were released after one hour. No one was chained. It should be stated that there Is no jail ia Manihiki and the usual method of effecting arrest is to use handcuffs.

“It will be seen,” said the Prime Minis ter, “that the information upon which Mr. Barnes has based his statement is incorrect. It is clear that the trouble at Manihiki arose from the newly as serted claim of the Cook Islands Progres sive Association, a non-industrial body, to control the engagement of labour for ship-working. The fact is that the Cook Islands Progressive Association has no such right or authority, and obviously it would be quite improper for it to be per mitted to usurp this power.”

THEN the wild men of the Auckland waterfront tried another line. They announced that, as the Prime Min ister would not order an inquiry into their alleged Cook Islands grievances, it was very unlikely that the Auckland watersiders would work the “Maui Pom are” when she arrived in December.

This started another furore in the newspapers the Rods shrieking at the moderates, and various bureaucrats an swering back.

However, by the time the “Maui Pom are” arrived in port, about December 29. the fury and the fighting had died down; and it was announced that, as the re sult of further information received, the watersiders would work the ship. But there were reports that the watersiders were still seething, and an uneasy situ ation continued.

On January 2. it was stated officially that the “Maui Pomare” would not re turn to the Islands in January, but would, instead, go into dock for her annual over haul two or three months earlier than usual. Communication with the Cooks in Januarv will be maintained by a Union

SS Co., steamer running from NZ to the United States.

Since then, there has been further howling by the watersiders. They ap parently are of the opinion that this is a dirty Prime Ministerial trick to pre vent the watersiders wreaking their vengeance upon the “Maui Pomare.”

The whole incident, or series of inci dents, is an outstanding example of what happens when a weak-kneed Socialist Government tries to deal with Red dominated trade unions upon a basis of mutual trust and brotherly love.