THE UNLOCKING OF THE PORT

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1907, 15 November 1913, Page 7

THE UNLOCKING OF THE PORT

NOW COMPLETE! SIXTEEN BOATS AT THE BERTHS. ■ LABOUR ABUNDANT. / 'From tho King's Wharf, where tho New Zealand Shipping Company's Itimutaka is berthed,, round to tho Dorset at tho Taranaki Street Wharf, tho waterfront presented an animated scene all day yesterday and last evening. During tho day sixteen steamers were berthed at tho various wharves and work went on as if the striko was not in existence Coastal, intercolonial, arid oversea stoamera were loaded and discharged, and for the first timo since October 22, tho two main gates on tho' Queen's Wharf remained opon all day. Yesterday was, in fact, a rod letter day so far as the striko of 1913 was concorned. Tho A. and A. Lino's chartered steamer Northern was tho first oversea. • steamer to complete discharge and leave port since'the striko began. Tho cleared tor Lyttelton at 4 p.in. Several coastal boats came alongside, discharged cargoes, took in other lifts, and left for ports on tho coast. More steamers will como in -from tho stream to-day and another oversea, vessel—the Tyser liner Marero, from London—will berth at Jervois Quay this morning to put out Home cargo. A now departure was made last evening when, in addition to the j Rimutaka _and Athenic, .tho steamers Dorset, Hiriiitangi, Kampoi, and Kaitpa worked till 10 p.m. and after. Now Union—sßo Members. Adequate labour was available, and hioro men will commence work at 8 o clock this morning. At 5 p.m. yesterday 580 mombers had joined tho hew .Waterside Workers' Union, among whom' wero 32 old watersiders who were out on strike. From inquiries made yesterday it was ascertained that several other strikers had signified an intention of turning to to-day, and it is expected that at . least 50 more of them will make a start on Monday. Tho men scorned to he tired -. of tho idlanojs. Tho two ■ permanent hands of tho Union Company's port etaff who had left tho city sent word that thoy were willing to g<. bask to .work, and ;t is understood that they Will be taken on to-day. , The. fleet of steamers in the stream is lessening daily, and those vessels which havo come alongside now remain at their bertlfs all night. Six steamers entered Wellington Harbour and seven left ior various ports yesterday. Included in the lattor wero the Manuka ami Willoehra fpr Sydney, and the Northern and Pateen» for Lyttelton. Several Harbour Board cranes wore in use yesterday on the Glasgow,' Railway, Queen's, and Taranaki Street .Wharves. The work of clearing the various sheds of cargo proceeded, and in ■ the course of a day or two the sheds on the King's and Glasgow Wharves will be ready to take in more cargo. The town stuff is being cleared fairly quickly, the greatest difficulty heinj-; experienced with transhipments.'Now that the coastal fleet has resumed running, a speedy clearanco of .this class of goods ..is anticipated. , . . ;' Tho Ships at V.'ork. Tho New Zealand' Shipping Company' 6 Rimutaka'has almost finished putting out tho Wellington portion of her Home cargo, and the shipping of-outwnrd dairy produce has begun The coastal steamer Putiki wa3 berthed across' the end < f the King's Wharf, and was loaded with town cargo and transhipments for Wanganui. At the Glasgow Wharf the work of loading thcTAtheiiic proceeded quickly and smoothly. Tho etacks of dairy produce with which the Sheds were filled .havo _ almost disappeared and coaling operations will bo finished to-day. Some 60 tons of . flour was landed from the coastal steamer Himitangj at -. tho Railway . iWharf. In addition, a quantity of wheat was shot into trucks, This cargo has been in the vessel for <_ the past three weeks'. Tho ketch Lizzie Taylor, laden with produce from' the south, berthed ahead of the Blenheim trader Opawa, at Waterloo Quay yesterday morning. Tho sailer will' probably commerico unloading to-day. A little further on, at the samo wharf, the Waverley discharged cargo from Nelson. The Queen's Wliarf presented its usual Friday appearance. Here several vessels of tho Union Company's fleet we're berthed. The Manuka was at No. 1 north, Pateena at No. 1 south and Arahura at No. 5, and the Willochra at No. 4. The coastal steamers Aorero and Wakatu, and tho Northern also occupied berths here. • All the steamers, with the, exception of tho Northern, worked cargo or coal , yesterday. Several gangs of men com- ', menced work on tho Manuka at 9 a.m. and by 5 p.m., 400 tons of general cargo ■had been'landed. Tho vessel sailed for Sydney direct at 7.10 p.m., and she was followed by the Willochra an hour later. The First Cement. Jervois Quay presented a busy scene. For sorao timo past builders aud contractors have been urgently in need of cement. With tho object of supplying this want the Union Company's Kaiapoi berthed at Jervois Quay yesterday morning' and commenced putting out 400 tons of cement from Limestone IsShe worked till 10 p.m. From Wellington the Kaiapoi will proceed to New Plymouth. At No. 12 berth the Kaitoa was engaged in discharging a similar cargo from Tarakohe. From early morning till lato at night the F. and S. Line's Dorset discharged Liverpool cargo at Taranaki Street Wharf.