SMASHING A STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1749, 14 May 1913, Page 8

SMASHING A STRIKE.

GOOD PERFORMANCE AT TIMARU. FREE LABOUR TRIUMPHS. Continuing the splendid pace they had set in loading the big ship Zealandie, the free labourers completed their job early on Saturday afternoon (says Monday's "Tiniaru Ilcrald"), without having encountered a single obstacle which occasioned tho slightest trouble, in overcoming. They put up better time in loading tho vessel usually put. up bv -tho ordinary waterside workers, and they came in for praise all round, except from tlioso whose places they filled. To the accompaniment of cheers tho free labourers trooped off Ilia Home liner when tho last carcass of mutton was shot in. ami tho last bale of wool safely stowed away. These cheers were for Captain Breen' and liis officers who had done everything possible to facilitate tho work of - those who were_jiew churns to the game, and it. was with some feeling of regret, that the ship and tho shore men parted. Por tho past two or three days there liad been a suggestion that the ship would lie unable to leave Timaru as the firemen would refuse to work when tho time came for sailing. -When the lime did come, however, every man was at his place, and did his work without a murmur. It was at .5.20 p.m. that tho vessel cast off from the wharf and cleared the port. A. goodly crowd was down to see- her off, but there was nothing to indicate then that anything untoward had happened. On one point the captain, and the ship's local agents, were determined from tho start, namely, that the boat would not leave behind tho smallest fraction of the cargo she had coino here lo pick up, atid with the help of the frco labourers, this end was easily attained. Sho took in -15,000 carcasses of mutton and lamb, tiOO crates of kidneys, 572 casks of tallow, etc., 1800 bags of copra, 1303 bales of wool,'and I) 7 sacks of peas. A PLETHORA OF WORKERS. One of tho representatives of a largo Timaru firm, when approached by a reporter, was seen balancing himself on the edge of 'a railway "truck as a. sling of iron rails was about to descend. 31b was covered in grime, but appeared very cheerful. Asked as to'how lie appreciated tho work, he eaid ho was enjoying himself immensely. The work was hard, but they were all getting through it witli dispatch, and tho agents of the steamer assured them that they wero equalling tho usual waterside workers' if not bettering it. "The gang lam m have been discharging general cargo all day, and there wiis a good quantity of cement in the cargo. It is not particularly pleasant stuff lo handle, but onco a few slings are landed the rest conies easy. Wo 'had with us Messrs. Shrimpton (D. C. Turnbull and Co.), llindley' and Mathicson (Uuinness and Lo Cren), and Pratt (National Mortgage), besides several other amateurs. Our only regret was that wo hatl to. refuse so many men who were keenly anxious io lend a hand. In one office in town a ballot was taken as to who should go, and the result was as keenly awaited as if a thousand pounds depended on the draw. As far as olir niolivo for working the ship went, it was this: For two or three years past we have had to put up with innumerable trouble from the waterside workers, and one never knew when a strike was about to happen. Personally, 1 have been in sympathy with the workers in several of their grievances, but lately they liavo been unbearable, -and on principle alone wo all worked on the boat." An attempt was made lo wreck one of tho winches on the Zealandic by jamming a block of wood among t'ho working parts, so that if steam had been turned on without its beir.g noticed there would have been a serious breakage.