YESTERDAY AT LYTTELTON.

Press, Issue 14828, 20 November 1913, Page 7

YESTERDAY AT LYTTELTON.

PORT FAIRLY QUIET

INTERFERENCE WITH WOR-KERS.

The Port looked almost attractive early yesterday morning, bathed as it was in bright sunshine, and an air of calip. lay on tho wharves and shipping. The jetties were well tenanted, compared with tho scene a few days ago, and the Opouri, Canopus, Northern, Melbourne, Karatnu, and Ulimaroa lay at thoir berths, together with a fair number of lessor craft.

The company on the Melbourne had been up with the lark, and had already been at work, when a representative of "Tho Press" arrived. To prevent any unpleasantness with the strikers, work had been started before six, and about a couplo of dozen or so tramway poles, the balance of the cargo left on board last night, had been got out of tha ship's hold, and Stored away on one of the railway trucks, ready for railing away. The Melbourne unloaded nothing else, but at 2.20 p.m. steamed away to Timaru, with 2000 tons of coal aboard. NORTHERN RESUMES UNLOADING. Preparations wore made to go on unloading tho general cargo from the Northern, and a few minutes before eight o'clock, about eight or nine police constables strolled on to No. 4 jetty, at which the Northern and the Melbourne were lying, and the railwaymen and the permanent hands arrived a few minutes later. Punctually to time, the hatches camo off, and tho first sling of cargo (petrol and benzine) came over the side. In about teu minutes or so, a straggling crowd of strikers, uumboring about a couple ol hundred, walked across to the wharf, and camo to a halt when the lino of constables was seen ranged along tha entrance to the jetty. The strikers I hauled off a few yards, and an earnest and rather excited palaver took place. It was evident that a - certain section of the crowd was urgently arguing that they should swarm on to the wharf and stop proceedings, but another section, which eventually proved itself the more powerful, managed to dissuade tho hotheads, and after a quarter of an hour or so of heated argument, the whole crowd turned round and walked back again, and wandered up to the Oddfellows' Hall, where a meeting was held. THE PATEENA. The 8.6. Pateena, from Wellington, arrived about 10.30 a.m. A crowd of moderate size greeted the arrival of the vessel, including a fair number of the strikers, but there was no demonstration of any kind. The certificated ship's company, togother with the railway servants, unloaded the mails and passengers effects without incident. No attempt was made to ship cargo by the Pateena, which left for Wellington at 6.25 p.m., with about 50 passengers, without exciting any demonstration. MEMBERS OF PATEENA'S CREW ATTACKED. Two stewards from the Pateena, who were venturesome enough to wander up the streets of Lytteiton yesterday morning, were sot upon by a mob near the Post Office. One man managed to get away unhurt, but the other received ono or two more or less serious blows on tho face. The opportune arrival of tho police raved him further punishment. A fireman from the Pateena is reported to have been attacked by a number of men in a back street during the afternoon, knocked down and kicked and punched. Ho eventually got away. Shortly before 4 o'clock yesterday

afternoon,about a dozen strikers on the wharf approached the Pntccna and tried to persuade the firemen on board to come out. Finding persuasion useless, they resorted to throats, and urged tho firemen to como down on to the wharf when*, they (tho .strikers) would settle them. This generous offer not being accepted, the strikers gave up the task and walked away.

Later on, however, it is alleged a man jumped aboard the vessel, violently struck a fireman, and then got away clear beforo anyone could roach him. STONE THBOWING. It was reported to the police that the 7.30 p.m. train from Christchurch on Tuesday was assailed with stones as it emerged from the tunnel, and the driver was struck on tho arm. The pol'ce had the tunnel entrance watched for succeeding trains, but there was no further attempt, and Sergeant Ryan is

of the opinion that the stone-throwing, which under tho circumstance-*- might havo had very serious results, was not. the work of strikers, but of some hoodlum who happened to bo passing at the time. STRIKERS DRILLING. It i.s reported that a largo number of strikers v. ere busily engaged in drilling yesterday morning in one ot" the back streets. Yesterday afternoon, it is understood, tho strikers held a mooting to discuss what form of action they should take when the '•snoeials" arrive.

NO BATONS. It is emphatically denied that any of the police drew or used their batons m the disturbance on Tuesday afternoon, as has been alleged, and ono man who was supposed to have done !>o -in particular did not happen to carry ono at all at the time. SPECIAL CONSTABLES MAY ARRIVE TO-DAY. It is understood that the special constables who aro to protect the men who are working the ships from interference and violence, will camp in tho Recreation Ground, and. to guard against attack from the hill above by ovilly-di.**-potod persons, the hill will be patrollcu. SHIPS TO BE WORKED. It is understood that tbo work of handling inward and outward cargoes will begin shortly, and that tho committee which is in charge of the matter has arranged everything necessary to ensure that onco work is started, there will bo no question about it being carried on without interruption. There is reported to be plenty of labour, and sufficient protectiou for it. NEW UNION REGISTERED. The secretary of tho new Lytteiton Wharf Workers' Industrial Union of Workers, has received official notification of the registration of tho Union under tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Wo are informed that tho enrolment of members is going on very satisfactorily, and that those applying for membership aro men who aro anxious for work On tho wharves. A MAN HUNTA man, evidently from tho country, arrived in the Port during the afternoon and when conversing with some men confided that ho was down to look for a ship. Ho was warned that' it would not bo safe to rcmnin ip Lytteiton, and was advised to leave beforo 7 p.m. Instead of doing this ho wandered about Norwich quay, and .at about 9.45, as a crowd was dispersing after an open-air meeting, ho was seen to enter the Mitre Hotel. A largo mtnibor of strikers crowded round the entrance to tho hotel and called out excitedly, "There's a 'scab* in there," "Turn the '-scab' out." A number of them rushed into tho hotel looking for tho man who had, in the meantime, been hurried out by a sido door. He was soon caught sight of by tho crowd, and chased up Canterbury street into London street, where he took refuse in a confectioner's shop. Ho remained thero for about ten minutes, at the end of which timo tho temper of the crowd had cooled down, and when ho ©merged he was allowed to get away without molestation.