PICKET LINE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1895, 1 November 1913, Page 6

PICKET LINE.

; THEER WATOH ON STABLES. During yesterday afternoon strike pickets were active-in the vicinity of the Post Office Square. On several occasions a man came to the orowd whioh had gathered in front of the Waterside Workers' Union Office. His message was quickly transferred to one and then to another/ Usually, in a short space of time an express conveying several strikers moved off at speed in the direction from.which the messenger had come. On one' occasion a striker announced that more pickets were required for the Taranaki Street Wharf district. There was a quick re--sponse, and away the new pickets went in an express. Later in the afternoon word was received that a number of men wero required to search a certain stable. It was thought that some of the special constables' horses might , have been stabled there. Nothing came of tho investigation'. 1 •'" '.'.".' ''■'. How the Plokot Works. ~' Precautions are obviously taken by 'the corps of strike pickets,; to secure the good behaviour of the watersiders. On several occasions during the last few days, men who have indulged somewhat freely in neighbouring hotels have been escorted by the pickets to a place where they could do no harm, and kept there until they were perfectly sober. As a result of this vigilance, tho large crowds which throng Post Office Square all day have been remarkably orderly. A reporter had an opportunity to visit the pickets' headquarters last evening, and saw the arrangements for "the reception 'of information from all points. Entry into the room is difficult. A stranger has , ( .tb".'.;run the gauntlet of door-keepers, • stair-keepers, and more door-keepers, to-say nothing of several others, all of whom have a pertinent question to ask as to the visitor's business. Every moment pickets arrive ■with news from the outposts, and hasten away again. There is not a single point of the waterfront which is not closely watched, and every movement is reported at once at headquarte'rs. The Last Post. Shortly after 10.15 p.m. yesterday a strike pioket, mounted on a bioyclo, visited the pickets stationed at Clyde Quay and TaranakJ Street Wharves, and told the men on duty there to "Go home and have . a good sleep." The order was promptly obeyed, and those two wharves did not receive any more attention from tho strikers during tho remainder of the night. . •