BUSY WELLINGTON.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14829, 21 November 1913, Page 10

BUSY WELLINGTON.

CARGO WORKING IN FULL, SWING.

JL PLEASING SIGHT. (FBSSS ASSOCIATION TEt-IGRAH.) WELLINGTON, November 20. With six Home liners, one- intercolonial steamer, a- couple of colliers, and i numerous vessels of the coastal and I mosquito fleet at -work to-day, the : wharves were- busier than, at any time since the strike began. The largest addition to the fleet was the Tyser liner Nerehaua, which arrived yesterday morning from Napier with 600 tons of general cargo. Shortly after 7 o'clock she lifted anchor in the stream, and berthed at No. 14, Jervois quay, just in front of the Marere. Thus is to be seen the unusual spectacle of two of the- vessels of the well-known blue and yellow colours lying in proximity to each other. A stroll round the wharves at midday conveyed some impression of the extensive cargo-handling operations being carried on. Kound at the King's wharf on the far side was littered tons upon tons of bulky cargo, unloaded from the Rimutaka. It included largo quantities of heavy iron pipes and crates of glass. In No. 1 shed were stored thousands of cases of goods taken from the holds ot the same vessel. On the other side of the wharf was berthed the Kittawa, which is to leave for Auckland to-night or to-morrow. Ever since she came into port her cargo work lias been pushed forward with all the despatch possible. Her gangs worked last night until 9.30 o'clock, and were early on the job again this morning. So much cargo was waiting to bo slung aboard that the long line of lorries stretched practically trorn end to end of the wharf, and a, good deal of congestion was the result. It was the railway wharf which presented the most pleasing sight in these times of coal shortage. Gangs of begrimed arbitrationists were fast unloading the coal cargo on the collier Wairuna from Newcastle, and a string of railway trucks filled to overflowing testified to the good work accomplished. Alongside the Pukalri from the West Coast was another line of trucks, empty ones this time, waiting to b© deluged with coal as soon as operations wero ready to be commenced. Half-a-dozen men wore engaged in erecting the track on which the. coal baskets were to be pushed to and fro, and it was anticipated that in the early afternoon the unloading work would be in full swing. Further round the wharves in the vicinity of V shed was a cluster of smaller vessels, of which the Huia, Opawa, and Lizzie Taylor were taking cargo aboard. At tho Queen's wharf there was a marked degree of activity. The Corin-. thic was putting out a largo amount of general stuff, and tho Maunganui was unloading. On the far Taranaki r street wharf the Blue Peter fluttering from the masthead of the Dorset showed that that vessel had completed her unloading, and was ready for the open sea. The first arrival to-day was the Union Company's intercolonial liner Maunganui, from Sydney, which anchored in the stream just after 4 a.m. She berthed at the Queen's wharf four hours later. Tho vessel brought no fresh cargo from the Australian port, but had on board 300 tons of general merchandise, brought across the previous trip, and which was left undischarged. It is an indication of the imoroved conditions that this particular "cargo, which has been three times across the Tasman, is now being put out. , _ , The Ulimaroa is fixed to sail for Sydney direct at 5 p.m. to-morrow. She will not take cargo. ■" .' ~ At noon to-day the following trading vessels practically all working, were in. port. ■* Tho respective berths are in each case: — ■ Taranaki street wharf —Dorset. Jervois quay breastwork —Marere and Nerehana. . Queen's wharf—Connthic, Mararoa, Alexander, Aorore, Pateena, Maunganui, Stormbrrd, Moa. Customhouse quay .breastwork —Blenheim, Lizzie Taylor, Opawa. Wool wharf—H.M.S. Psyche. Railway wharf—Wairuna, Pukaki. Glasgow wharf—Rimutaka, Hawera. King's wharf—Kittawa, Renraera, Awahuu: Pipitea wharf—Mararoa. The following vessels are now at anchor in the harbour:—Arahura, Kia. Ora, Mimiro, N«atoro, Ngahere, Wnihine. Katoa. Poherua, Hercules, Tutanekai. Wairuna, Takapuna Queen of the South, Haupiri, Kapiti, Huia, Waihi, and Awaroa.

(special to "the rrass.") WELLINGTON, November 20. The Queen's Wharf presented a busy scene all day and till 10 P-™- , The gangs on the Connthic did good work. Tho big majority of watersiders employed on this vessel worked the Athenic; and they have picked up the various points of the game ma very short si£ce of time. The officers of the Connthic were loud in their Praise of the way in which the cargo had been handled. , After her cargo had been three times across the Tasman Sea the Maunganui managed to put out, 4W tons of general merchandise at Wellrogton before she left for the south.