RUSHES ON STEAMERS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1889, 25 October 1913, Page 5

RUSHES ON STEAMERS.

ONSLAUGHTS ON THE FREE MEN.

' Everything was quiet on tho wharves during the morning, but this calm did not last during tho day. AH entrances to tho wharves from J Blied in Waterloo Quay to the end of Jorvois Quay woro closed. Polieo and Harbour. Boar! tolls and tally clerks woro stationed' at various points along tho wharves. At the Queen's Wharf entrance a. largo, number of polioo and Harbour Board officials were on duty, and everyono who attempted to enter tho gates' waa asliod his business'. A3 tlio day wore on lai'go crowds gathered at tlio entrance to tho Queen's Wharf and also m in Post Office Square. Trouble Ciiramoftoas. . Shortly after 1 p.m. trouble commenced. On two or three occasions dining tlio aftonioon it appeared as if strikers and sympathisers woro going to endeavour to take a high hand. Despite tlio efforts of a small posso of police. Harbour Board officials, and men doing strike picket duty, a section of tlio crowd forocd their way through on two occasions, and made a blind rush for three steamers which woro boi.ug worked with fj-co-laliour. The strike pickets seemed to bo doing their best, to stop tho rush, but unsuccessfully. Hooting and yelling tj, crowd of over 300 men mado for the coastal steamer Defender. Another i'\ish had for its objective, and subsequently a crowd of men bore down on tho Queen of the South. Trouble 00ciwrod tho Taviuni, Blows were

given and returned'. Oil board t!ie Navua a Union employee named J. Urcen reeoived a nasty wound oil tlio head from a broken bottle thrown 'by a man in the crowd, About 4.30 p.n). a crowd of from IGOO to 2000 men rushed' the Now Zealand ShipijmS Company's Rimutaka, and a Borious melee took place on board, in wludi Sir. P. Jelly, foreman stevedore for. the New Zealand Shipping Company, ana tho second officer received injuries. Rush on S.S. Defender. In the oasc of tlio coastal steamer Defender, the oroivd of about SCO men rushed the wharf. Four men, in charge of Mr. ICitching (chief shipping dork for Messrs. Baiiiyityno and Co.), were engaged in loadiiig tlio vessel at the time. Tlio" crowd surged through the . shod door, and went straight for Mr. Hitching, A blow was struck, and he retaliated. A lively scene followed. Some BBiiibiance of order was restored by Mr. Munro, wharfinger, and other Harbour Board offloials. Speeches wore made by a striker's delogjire., and also by Sir. Munro. The outoomo was that tho four free labourers knooked off work. The strikers guaranteed that tho would bo allowed to go back unmolested, and this they did. As tho .four men made their way through til© crowd a little hooting was indulged in, but afterwards .oheers were given for Mr. Batching, bis three men, and Mr. Munro. Violent Scene en 8-8. Navus. The disturbance at the Defender hai hardly been quelled when the cry went up to rush the Navua. The crowd tore pell-mell - through the gates, .and de* nusndod that tho freo laboured working on board should come ashore. Several strikers attempted to board the vessel, and some wero successful, They climbed up the ship's side, and clambered up the gangway. Fruit was being discharged through a door in the bow of tho vessel. The strikers swarmed through this opening, and into the holds of the Bhip. It was during this tame that J. Breen was hit with a, broken.' bottle. Ho waa taken away for medioal attontion. A leering crowd mad# the free labourers feel very uncomtort- ( able. The latter wero sorted out, ana it was plainly Been that they we're only too willing to stop work.

Infuriated Cfowd. As tho strikers wero coming off the Navua one of their number was apparently roughly handled, by an official. At this tho mob on the wharf became infuriated, and riot seemed to bo coming. Tho gangway was lowered amidst loud hooting, ami after persisting for a while a picket was allowed to speak. Ho appealed to liis comrades to allow Mr. Munro to speak. Subsequently the wharfinger promised tho strikers that if they wovild movo off tho wharf the men who had been working cargo would go ashore. A picket found, four freo „ labourers on board, and when he had i satisfied himself that tho mon would Ceaso work the crowd movod off.

Scene at S.S. Quean of this South. Tho coastal steamer Queen of the South was the next vossel rushed. When tho strikers saw who the. tree labourers on this vessel wero their tem- j pors cooled somewhat. \outliß nnci •; shipping clerks from I/cviii and Co. a local offlco, in White- shirts, wore lumping bales of flax and wool and hides. They were doing good work, too. lliey were soon-tho centre of a threatening crowd of excited strikers, who orowded ovor the decks and hemmed the ffl» labourers in. Again blows were Btrwk,. After some delay Mr. \V. E. roller, manager of Messrs. Levin and Co. s , -ShinpTng Dopartiuonjbj.-Pl ) tl u, '?d the ser- ; vices of a policemen." and this had a sobering effect on tho crowd. Later more policemen appeared, and order' was restored when tho chairman of the Harbour Board and the wharfinger ap.■ neared on tho scene. Amid cheers tho announcement- was roadfl that if the strikers left the wharf! tho froo labourers would be _ kuockyd ; off Having gained their object,-the ■ crowd of strikers left the scene of pro-j vious disordor still breathing throat?' of oausing moro trouble.