THE STRIKE.

Clutha Leader, Volume XL, Issue 43, 28 November 1913, Page 3

THE STRIKE.

WELLINGTON CONDITIONS. STEADY WQRK ON THE WHARVES WELLINGTON, N0v.,28. A steady degree of activity was maintained along the front of- the harbor to-day. The blue peter at tho masthead of tha Tyser liner M.miro conveyed the message that the vessel had completed discharging her 1040 tons of cargo for this port, and was due to sail at any time for Lyttelton. On the other Home boats in port th? shipping and unshipping of cargo was going on at full sneed ahead long. The Remuera wdl pMfoably have finished discharging to-morrow and will then be ready to proceed South. Likewise the big liner Corinthic, whose holds have almost been relieved of tho 4700 tons of merchandise for Wellington. TheArawa from London has between 4000 and 5000 tons, and when fully loaded and coaled she will cast off for London. The Nerehana will in all likelihood sail for East Coast ports to-day or to-morrow. Three colliers—the Wairuna, Kamona and IV | herua—proceeded with the putting out of their coal.

The familiar figure of the Jack tar doing sentry go on the wool wharf was again in evidence to-dav, H.M.s. Psvclio irom Lyttelton having berthed "this morning. Another vessel at the wool wharf is the Maoriland Company's coastal steamer Ennerdale. Three hatches were being utilised for discharging her usual cargo of 1000 tons, and the task was completed this evening. fhe enrolment of members of the Arbitration Waterside Union was deeidedIv brisk to-day. The official ' figures were given as 1430 at three o'clock, up to which hour 80 men had signed on since eight a.m. Three of the shipwrights over wnom the trouble originally arose have signed on the hooks of the Arbitration Union and are now working on the wharves. "

AX UNEXPECTED HITCH.' ' WELLINGTON, Nov. ->G Aii unexpected hitch occurred this evening ,111 connection with the sailing of the Maunganui for Lvttelton. Earlv in the evening the firemen (nine ashore having been called out by the union.' Iho seamen indicated that thev would mit work if arbitrationists were put into the stokehold, and it Ik said thai there was_ a lively discus-ion anion* arbitrationists as to taking lm +] le work at the monev offered: 'Eventually, however a crew was secured for the stokehold, but as thev marched up tho gangway just before' eight o'clock he seamen came off. Tho stewards of Unship had ssicl that thev would not woi-k it arbitratioiiists came 0 n board, but they changed their minds. Onlv one, a union official, left the shin C:n>tams and other officer., living here wore pressed into tho service as .seamen and it is expected that the Maunganui will pet away late. Tho seamen, it is understood did not want to come out hero as thev ose a good deal in wages, but they would probably have left the •hip at Svdnev.

COAL SUPPLY ASSURED. .WELLINGTON, Nov. 26. l'rom inquiries which wcn> made today by a reporter it can V stated with confidence that the coal >upplv is assured, ft it understood that under arrangements just made IS.OOO tons of coal are to be land.nl in Wellington next month and 6000 tons will reach Auckland also next month. Offers have tifcii received to sum;lv coal when required up till the end' of March and suthcient will be ordered to keen the industries of the countrv goiii<* "until at least that date. ' " a

BEFORE THE COURT. vi , Ji E P jl r" (iTOX - *<"-■ - ,G - Uiward Oolclough was committed for tvial at the Magistrate's Court to-dar op. a charge of disohar-nim a revolver on October 30, with intent to harm a mounted constable.

POSITION AT AUCKLAND. WHARVES BUSY. AUCKLAND. Nov. 26. ; Work was proceeding apace ao- a in to aav on the waterfront. EarTv this nwnnng the Union steamer Wanaka saiW for the South. The. full miscellaneous cargo taken bv the vevel approximates 3000 tons. ' Another departure was the Souall for Osborne Shortly before noon a barque was sighted outside Tiritiri. She is nro"aWy the Ron a from Newcastle with a coai_ cargo. On Fridav the White •tar iiner Zealandic is due from Ly*v, a Sydner. She has aboard a rsc quantities of Home and Australian mails for all parts of the Dominion. TRAMS RESUMED. AUCKLAND. Nov. 26. Wie tram service was resumed this morning. OPENING THE HOTELS. _. , , AUCKLAND. Nov. 26,. . «e hotels of the city and guburbs *>' re-open to-morrow between 9 a.m. "« o p.m., ou condition that the 'censers do not sell liquor for consumpt'o" oft the premises.

LYTTELTON AND CHRISTCHURCH, ACTIVITY AT THE PORT. CHRISTCHURCH, Not. 26. 'n marked contrast with last week ""'e is a marked sign of activity along "» waterfront at Lvttelton 'to-day. was an abundant supply of spells touring the approaches to the JJwres, but their duties were by no ™eans arduous. Shortly after half-past * w tins morning H.M.s. Pyramus arnl^" 1 P° rt from Wellington. The £™*Pt was busily engaged in discharg- , g Her Liverpool cargo, being worked «L r n" B ' n c,w - H is <J -M>ected that »h u ill proceed to Dunedin to-morrow hip T Am , Work VKCMihd with good ZH "" boai ' (l tho H'mutaka, and in arL■ n I- t0 the <* ew th e™ "'ere 25 hn»li V? nists wking o»i board. On kl ; ', °P»n«» Canonus, Breeze, » r* a "i d Mo »»ng Lijrht operations yZJ-J wa - v > but the, ' c still ihin, t tol ' mme labor *o "" or k the , I JS - 10-morrow will be a. wry busy Pwt«l 1? and it' is ex«t supply of labor on hand. The areV lam ' e > Mimiro, and Rcmuera * r S a «o expected. &&£'*• He y«-ood'», *"d the New .wand Express Co.' s carriers are baek **U ' i n ? tGcte <l by special con- »* * A ew of tbe «W m «» have town wi.* b * C u k ' for "> me "of-tfaem left * n * h «l to*y wers paid off, Tlwy

aro expected back soon. Tho men have formed a new union tor registration under the Arbitration Act. POSITION IN AUSTRALIA. DIFFICULTIES INCREASING. SYDNEY, Nov. 26. The- delegate from the New Zealand | Seamen's Union arrived to-day and conferred with the general secretary of the Federated Seamen's Union of Australasia and flie assistant secretary of the Victorian Seamen's Union. The business was not divulged. A special meeting of snipping clerks to-night will consider the position of clerks who are engaged discharging cargo on the Union Company's steamers. The president of the Clerks' Union states that some of the members are very sore at being asked to Uiandle cargo. Some refused to do so, but lie instructed them to continue pending the union's decision on a line of 1 action. It is reported that a number of the Orama's passengers who are en route to New Zealand are stranded owing to the dislocation of the steamer service. Although a number have money in New Zealand banks, they are provided witlh only sufficient ready cash, without reckoning on strike delays, to land them in New Zealand. Others are in a. still worse plight, all their available funds being exhausted in paying board in Sydney.

! THE STRANDED IMMIGRANTS. \ OFFER TO WORK A STEAMER. SYDNEY, Nov. 26. Tlie Union Company's clerks have finished the unloading of the Willochra and Manuka and aro now engaged removing the Makura's fruit. The Tofua arrived from Fiji with a record cargo of bananas. Their perishable nature makes a quick clearance necessary, hot so far no attemnt has been made to. unload them. Hon. J. McUowon Minister -for Labor) and Hon. A. C. Carmiehael (Minister for Public Instruction) conferred with the secretary of the Seamen's Union. It is reported that the Ministers unavailingly used their endeavors to obtain a. modification of the attitude of the Seamen's Union in declining to man New Zealand steamers.

An interesting development occurred to-day. Willingness was expressed by the Orama's stranded immigrants to work the Mnlheno to Xew Zealand if required. An official of the Union Company asked for volunteers during the morning, and 30 names were handed in. The men were asked to stand ready for the call.

The 'Sun' publishes a statement that the Union Company, being desirous of shifting the stranded immigrants, proposed vo men the Manuka with free labor, much of which would be supplied by the immigrants themselves, with a sufficient percentage of skilled sea labor. The paper adds that the industrial union officers, fearing a great upheaval in the waterside and other transport industries, prevailed on the company to stay its hand while a special appeal was made to the Seamen's Union to treat tine case of the immigrants as a special one and to work the Manuka to New Zealand, regarding the dispute as unaffected bv this concession. The secretary of the union declined to agree to the proposal, which, it is understood the seamen are unwilling to entertain.

CLERKS' DECISION. SYDNEY, Nov. 2(5. The Union Steam Ship Company proposes to despatch the. Malieno tomorrow afternoon with a scratch crew which it is understood has been secured. Failing any presenting themselves their places will be filled by the Orama's immigrants.

A meeting of tho wharf section of the Clerks' Union- resolved. "That in view of the_ fact fihat with the exception of the Wharf Laborers'--Union tho unions immediately concerned are taking no action in connection with the strike, this union is of opinion that its members should continue to perform their usual dutie-. but refuse to perform work other than clerical work." The nature of the decision is likely to involve developments.