BUSY TIMES AT LYTTELTON.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14835, 28 November 1913, Page 7

BUSY TIMES AT LYTTELTON.

HARBOUR CROWDED WITH

SHIPPING.

THIRTEEN SHIPS WORKED

YESTERDAY.

GREATER RUSH EXPECTED

TO-DAY.'

The waterfront at Lyttelton has made a rapid recovery from the strike paralysis which so sorely afflicted it for more than three weeks. Yesterday it had recovered much of its former vigour and activity. Apart from the dejection exhibited by the groups of strikers and their associates at the street corners, the bustle and movement inseparable from the healthy activity of the squads of "special" constables, and the horse-lines on the waterfront, there was little to suggest that Lyttelton had been affected by a strike. A BUSY SCENE. The port was even busier, apart from the presence of a big fleet of ships at the wharves, than it had been for many months. Work was being carried on with groat vigour, every man in employment was putting forth his best efforts. On every wharf the rattle of winches and the clatter and racket of cargo working resounded merrily, and a dozen ships which had been lying inanimate for saany days under the strike affliction were full of life and bustle and work. Apart from the activity of cargo working, the port was busier than ever from the fact that ships were moving in and out of the harbour. There were threo arrivals during the forenoon, all big steamers from Wellington, two being twin grey-painted Tyser liners and the other the stately Maunganui. Small steamers and launches bustled in and out during the day and gave added animation. THE TYSER LINERS. First to arrive was the big "Tyser" Marere, from Glasgow and Liverpool, via Auckland and Wellington. She came into port at 6.40 a.m. after a smart run from Wellington, and was moored by Pilot Hunter at the east side of No. 7 wharf. Her Lyttelton cargo comprised 1400 tons of general merchandise and a start was made on it during the morning. No shore labour was engaged to work on board, and the ship's crew worked all the hatches. About two hours later came another big Tyser liner, the Mimiro, from Now York, via way ports and Wellington. On her present outward trip the Mimiro is under charter to the American and Australian Line, and she brought 700 tons of American goods for discharge at Lyttelton. The Mimiro was berthed by Pilot Crawford at No. 6 wharf, east side, and she started unloading during the morning, working with her own crew. Both the Mimiro and the Marere put up good records. The former will sail to-morrow and the latter about Tuesday next for Dunedin, where they will finish discharging. DORSET TO SAIL TO-DAY. The Federal-Shire steamer Dorset has made such good progress with the discharging of her Lyttelton carco, that there will be no difficulty in despatching her this afternoon for Dunedm, where she will complete unloading before proceeding to Australia. ACTIVITY ON THE RIMUTAKA. The New Zealand Shipping Co.'s steamer Rimutaka is the centre of great activity, and she is working full handed. Her inward cargo is being discharged at a great rate, and a start was made yesterday morning to load cargo lor London, several trucks of wool being taken in. The Rimutaka has a large • quantity of frozen meat, butter, cheese, wool, tallow, and grain to load at Lyttelton, and it will be the middle of next week before she is ready to sail. COASTAL STEAMERS. Other steamers discharging cargo were the Canopus, Opouri, Kini, Cygnet, and their output of coal, timber, and other goods was very creditable.

BREEZE SAILS FOR WELLINGTON. Tho Canterbury Steam Shipping Co.'s Breeze, which was recomnrissioned on Tuesday, left yesterday for Wellington. Sho was fully laden with produce and with the parts of a large locomotive. Tho Breeze took in bunker coal during tho morning, and sailed in the afternoon. FOUR SCHOONERS DISCHARGING. . Tho schooners Eunice, Aratapu, Morning Light, and Elijta Firth were all { busily engaged in unloading £imber yesterday. Tho Annie Hill and the Lily would havo been started but for the fact that railway cranes were in short supply. The Morning Lifiht and Eliza Firth had no cranes, and the timber j wae being passed up to tho trucks by | hand. WOOL STORES BUSY! Apart from the rush of work on the wharves, there are £usy times in the wool stores and gram sheds at Lyttelton. Work has been in progress in the New Zealand Shipping Company's wool store for two or three days/ and yesterday ten or twelve new unionists wero engaged in. addition to the permanent hands. The men are busy dumping 2000 odd bales of wool in the store for shipment by tho : Rimutaka. Although the first wool, sale in Christchurch Tias been postponed, a good deal of wool is being forwarded to LytteJton for direct shipment to London, and every goods train arriving in the port brings several trucks of wool, • SOME STRIKING FIGURES. The fleet of ships in port yesterday included fivo oversea kuers, all over 6000 tons each, and a goodly number of coastal steamers and sailers. Although the aggregate tonnage, upwards of 50,000 tons, was not a '•record," it was well above the average. Nine steamers, big and small, and four schooners were working cargo, and great inroads ■were made on the empty trucks which have' been accumulating for weeks. At 2 p.m. yesterday, nearly 100 trucks, all fully leaded, wero standing in tlie station yard, ready to go to Cbrietchurch. On. Wednesday three heavy' goods trains took upwards of 1200 tons of cargo through the tunnel. Yesterday 165 trucks were filled in eight working hours up till 5 p.m., and feroral of the steamers worked overtime up till dark. Four long goods trains were'dpspatched to Christehurch with over 1300 tons of cargo. It is predicted that in a rery short time there will be very few empty trucks left in the port. BIG RUSH TO-BAY. Tho prospecte for to-day are that there will be an extraordinary rush of shipping work in the port. Expected arrivals include tho Oorinthic (12,230 tons), Remuera (11,500 tons), and the Pateena, Storm, Wakatu, and Cygnet, and the total tonnage will como very near a "record" for tho port. MORE CARGO FROM LONDON. Tho Now Zealand Shipping Company's steamer i : lemuera left Wellington at 3 30 p.m. yesterday, and is due at Lvttelton early this morning. She will Berth at No. 3 wharf, opposite to tho Rimutaka, to discharge 2000 tons of general cargo from London. The Shaw, Sarill and Albion liner CorJnthic is also due this morning from Wellington, but owing to the crowded state of tho wharves, the big 12,000 tonnor will probably havo to wait until the Dorset vacates the berth on the west side of No. 7 wharf. The Corinthic has 2000 tons of general merchandise to discharge at Lvttelton, and there is a very large quantity of wool, .butter, cheese, and other produce awaiting shipment in her for London. STORM LOADS FOR WANGANUL Tho Canterbury Steam Shipping Company's steamer Storm, which has boen running throughout tho strike period, is due hero this morning from Wanpanui. with a shipment of cattleShe will lift a large quantity of general cargo and produce at Lyttelten, and will sail t&-night for Wanganui. KAIKOURA SERVICE RESTORED. After a break of one month, tho steamer services from Lj-ttelton arid Wellington to Kaikoura were resumed yesterday. The Cygnet loaded a full cargo of stores and general merchandise and a number of sheep for Kaikoura, and sailed last night. She will load a full cargo of wool at Kaikoura, and will return to-night. Tho Wakatu left Wellington yesterday, a full ship, for Kaikoura, and is due here tc-nisjbt with another cargo for that port. Owing to the long break in the service thero is a big accumulation of goods for shipment to the coastal port. The Wakatu will load a full cargo to-morrow, and will sail on Sunday evening on arrival of the 5 p.m. tram for Kaikoura and Wellington. STEAMERS FOR OVERHAUL. Several of the coastal cargo eteamere are getting into light trim, and although they are not being worked to their full capacity, they will complete discharging very shortly. The K»ni is n«aring the finish of her cargo, and as her annual survey is nearly due, it is probable that she will be laid up for overhaul and refit. The Canopus will

also undergo her annual survey daring the next few weeks. It is probablethat tho Opouri will be loaded with produce for tho West Coast. Tho Harbour Board dredgo Canterbury h to be drydocked for survey and overhaul to-day. . $EW UNION GROWING. Every member of tho new arbitration union was fully employed yesterday, the number at work being about 100. There wvre several additions t« the union yesterday, and more are arriving", in Lyttelton during the next few days.. The'crows of steamers working numbered about 150. Thero were 85 members of tho Railway Casual Whart Labourers' Union working m tbe trucks, and several places will be Ull«l to-day. Some of the men who previously stood out aro now anxious to eicn tho declaration of loyalty to the Railway Department, and it is probable that their services will be ac T .. copted. A LYTTELTON RESIDENT ARRESTED. A Lvttolton resident, while; travelling in a train between Chratchurch.-. and Lyttelton, is alleged to have used some strong language to a numb©r ■ ov Arbitrationists, to whom he used tne word "scab." The man was arrested yesterday afternoon by Dotective-toer-goant Fahey and Detective Carney, on a charge of using language calculated to provoke a breach of tho peace, tlo will appear boforo the court this morn- . ing. • "SPECIALS" WANT TO WORK. Time passes slowly for many of the "specials at Lyttelton, most of whom .. are accustomed* to hard work in tho country, and consequently a largo ntimber have applied for permission to assi *t in discharging operations on board the steamers in port. So far tho demand for labour has be«n well supplied, and as thero have been daily additions to tho ranks of tho new union, it haa not been necessary to recruit from tho < "specials." SHOEING OF HORSES. Messrs H. Smith and Uo., Lyttciton, write: —"Referring to your remarks xn-. Wednesday's issue regarding tho shoeing of horses belonging to mounted spocial constables, and also those belonging to special reporters, we wish to state that wo aro quite willing, and;.':: have no objection whatever, to shoe horses for tho above-named. The reason the liorso you mention wae not shod was owing to our farrier refusing to do the , work required, when ascted by us to d 0../■... 60." , ' . ' AFTERNOON TEA FOR THE "SPECIALS." A number of Christchurch ladiea will visit Lyttelton to-day at 3 p.m. for tho purpose of serving afternoon tea to the . "specials." With tho object of making the function a success, caterers aro in- .' vited to forward refreshments, which will bo carried to Lytielton free by the 2 p.m. train.