PM Transcripts

e energy, and the fitting of the Government machine to cope more
effecitvely with the great economic and international problems
with which must urgently ccncern ourselves.
is
be PROFESSOR GILBERT MURRAY. O. M.
list r'r \ On January 18, the Prime Minister announced that the
itio Commonweal-h-Government, on the advice of the Historic Memorials
Comnmittee-had recently purchased in London a portrait of
S Professor -ilbert Murray, painted in 1954 by his grandson,
1: ir. L awrence Toynbee.
The portrait has now arrived in Canberra from London.
ride There are apparently very few portraits of the great
scholar in existence and the Government considered-that the
National Collection of rt Treasures should include this portrait
with those of other Australians distinguished in the fields of
art, literature and science.
and WATERFRONT STRIKE
nent
sent On January 23, the Prime Minister said:
11 " Cabinet has t oday considered the waterfront strike which
began last night. It has had before it a careful and documented
com statement of the various negotiations and steps which have recently
occurred, including the negotiation between the parties and the
V proceedings before the Arbitration Court. The urgent fact is that
tmen a strike is on and that, with certain exceptions, it has brought
about a cessation of work on the waterfront at a time when the
vital interests of " ustralia can be and are most vitally affected
ly by it. " As a Government, we are not the judges of the merits.
We have at all times strongly maintained our belief that not only
hese in the interests of the . parties but in those of the public at
large, which are of paramount importance, wages and industrial
Y conditions where the parties do not agree should be dealt with
f by the industrial tribunals.
the " In this particular matter, waterside workers claim that
their pay should be increased; shipowners claim that there are
ers restrictive practices on the waterfront which should be abolished
if the costs of transportation ( so important an element in costs
r generally) are to be kept at a level which will enable trade to
tion go on, ensure to the public the lowest possible level of transport
uncedn cost, and facilitate the prompt and profitable conduct of export
trade for Australia as a whole.
e* " It will be quite clear to hundreds of thousands of
employees in other industries that a disastrous waterfront strike
will affect their employment. Indeed, if it goes on for even a
her few weeks it will inevitably produce mass unemployment in other
usion industries. It is, therefore, my duty to point out to the public
binet generally and to those concerned in the dispute in particular
three things:
1. Whatever may be the final determination, the shipowners
have in fact made an offer of a wage increase and have asked
for the elimination of restrictive and, therefore, wasteful
Sfiu o. uractices;