AT LYTTELTON.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14831, 24 November 1913, Page 7

AT LYTTELTON.

WORK PROCEEDING QUIETLY

: " There was anothor quiet day at the Port on Saturday. Cargo on the steamers Northern and Dorset was worked without interruption, the wharves at which the vessels wero lying being kept clear from intruders by a singlo policy constable, stationed ut the ehoro end of each. Tho Northern sniled at G. 45 on Saturday for Dunedin, to complete tho . discharge of her cargo from New YorkTHE MAORI ARRIVE?. Tho Union Steam Ship Company* forry boat Maori arrived at 7 o'clock on Saturday morning with 237 passengers. _ who, with their baggage, w«to landed without any disturbance, there being only a few people on tho wharf on her arrival. She brought no cargo. 6ho returned to Wellington after tho arrival of the second express from tho south- " • . THE AMMUNITION -SUFFLY. It is reported that thevre has been a groat run on ammunition in Lyttolton lately, and large quantities .of ehotgun cartridges and bullottod cartridgea for revolvers and pistols have, been sold. "When this news came to tho care of tho polioo authorities, stringent orders I wore issued that no ammunition must be sold to anybody without a special permit from tho police. Since the order was given out, sevoral applications havo been made for permits to purchase shotgun cartridges, ostensibly to go rabbit-ehooting on tho hiUβ, bufc no permits have been issued. - . POSSIBLE CAMP SITES. ' Much, speculation is current regard-, mg tho most suitable sites for tire . camps of the mounted special constables at Lyttelton. There are two'" fairly obvious places, but one is not at all eecure from attack. Thitftis tho . ground known as the Officer's PointKecrcation Ground,. at "the north-east . end of tho Port, which has an aroa of about two Hcres- Jt i* flat, end suit' able for a mounted camp site, but for the fact that one sido is bordered by a steep cliff, along tho face of which runs ■ thoSunmcr road, and. boulders could be rolled down on to tho camp eito with . terrible effect. The patrolling of the Sumner road would be of little practical use, as tho hill rises above that again, bestrewn with plenty of "big-gun" \ ammunition in the form of large rocks. .-

These, if started off, would bounce over - tho road and on down, into tho camp,' and if they hit man or horse tho result*' might be fatal. The only effectual way to protect the Officer's Point dta . would bo to haro a strong patrol on. the actual ridge, which would make" i the place eafo enough while there was ■ light to see tho movements of any' small body of men, though a night at-J tack would bo extremely difficult to*

prevent. . ' The eit« at the 'south-west' end of ; • the- waterfront is much safer from ; boulder attack, for though a cliff rises • similarly behind the flat, there are a> <- largo number of housee on the hillside, and behind that again the hills areunofc nearly so steep as those that command tho Officer's Point cite. There is no certainty that either of the «tee men- - tioned will be used, but tho general - rumour points, them out as bcinft' probable bases for tho mounted ~ "specials." , LABOUIt AVAILABLE. Speaking to a representative of '"The. Press ,, on Saturday morning, a pro- . minent shipping official said that there need be no alarm at the reports that not sufficient labour to work the port . could bo obtained. There were, he biiid, enough men ready and waiting to do all tho work necessary in the Port, even - when several big ships came in. ,All that was needed was protection, and directly that was available the Portwould be in full swing without any de-" lay whatever. STRIKE COMMITTEE MANIFESTO. Tho Press Committee of tho otrjk© Committee at the waterfront handed the following bulletin to ono of our . representatives on Saturday afternoon : —

"A meeting of members of the union was held to-<lay. There was a full attendance.

"A letter was received from John 11. Mitchell, furniture' manufacturer, Christchurch, denying that his firm had made auy batons, and stating that they did not intend to.

H "Tho Minister for Railways, who was telegraphed to with regard to coat for tho Defender, has answered that the. Department could not see its way to give tho 17 tons of coal, as this coal could not be spared. Wβ are proceed-" ing with tho loading of the cargo, 'Funds are coming in freely." COALING.

The Dorset was being coaled on Saturday from the Blackball Coal Company's" hulk Wai-iti, tho company's pormaaent hands working on tho hulk, and. the Dorset's firemen handling tho coal ou board.

Tho Kaiapoi Creamery having run ont of coal, a special effort was to have been made on Saturday to supply it. Tho Kaiapoi Shipping Company's steamer Wootton was to have come round to Lyttelton and received ooal from tho Union Steam. Ship Carnf pony's Kattangata* in the a couple of the Union Company's permanent hands being told off to assist. A heavy sea Waimakariri bai prevented, the Wootton getting out of

the river, and also prevented the truth or otherwise of a statement to the effect that the strikers intended to go out in boats and try to prevent the coaling. THE NORTHERN SAILS. The big tramp steamer Northern finished discharging her Lyttelton cargo at 5 p.m. on Saturday, and sailed lor Dunediu at 5.45 p.m. The vessel, which was in very light trim, had a very quiet departure, strikers being conspicuous only by their absence. THE DEFENDER. The Defender which the strikers are loading with foodstuffs for Westport will not sail till this afternoon, as part of her cargo is not yet to hand. It is understood that tho Strike Committee has arranged to get coal for her from, the old steamer Mullough, which has been laid up at the Port for many months, and has still some coal aboard. The Defender herself has still a small quantity of coal on board, and with favourablo weather could have got round to Westport on it without bunkering here, but- the captain says that she needs 18 tons to fill her bunkers. MORE ARRESTS AT LYTTELTON. James Garner, who has been a prominent figure in recent events at Lyttelton, was arrested on Saturday afternoon in connexion with the alleged asf>auit upon James Haydon, a Westport Coal Company permanent employee, who was knocked down near the tunnel mouth and kicked. Another man nas arrested on Saturday afternoon on a charge of committing a breach of the peace.