THE UNLOCKING OF THE PORT

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1908, 17 November 1913, Page 8

THE UNLOCKING OF THE PORT

PRACTICALLY DONE.

NINETEEN BOATS TO WORK TO-DAY.

MEN'S PAY DAY.

WEEK'S WAGES RANGE UP TO £8.

Rousing cheers broke the stillness of the morning yesterday, when tho ferry steamer Maori came in from Lyttelton. A large force of special constables and a number of the public were at the wharf to see her in, and. as she ranged alongside, someone called for • three cheers, and tiro response wag unanimous and hearty. The steamer's passengers and c-rew at once returned the cheer.

Seldom has a, steamer been so well manned as the Maori is at present for ' the majority of her crew are captains and officers in the employment of tho Union Company. Down below, 'tho stokehold is manned-by a proportion of experienced firemen and another proportion- of recruits. For tho purposes of tho trip several extra engineers were carried on tho ship's books, and these -acted as instructors at the .furnaces. Tho ferry flier came up from Lyttelton' in her usud Sunday time, the distance being cut out in a little under eleven hours, -She W ill leave on "the return trip this "evening, and will cateh tho first express for the south at Lyttelt/on on Tuesday morning. Solid Saturday's Work. To all intents and purposes tho unlocking of the port, is now nn fait accompli. On Saturday the whole ot the wharves presented a busy appearance, and a large, number of coastal steamers worked inward and outward cargo. In addition to those* Homo steamers which have been working for several days past, tile Tyser liner Marore also joined tho fleet at the berths and began her output. Trad© between Wanganui, Patea, and Wellington has also been resumed, tho South Taranaki Steamship Company's Arapawa and Kapuni arriving here during tho early hours of tho morning. Iho Kapuni brought 1300 cases of oheese from Patea for transhipment to the Rimutaka, and the Arapawa had 600 bales of wool from Wanganui. Both these vessels wero "all out''' by Saturday evening. Up till the time that the Union Company's Kaiapoi went- out into the stream on Saturday evening she had put out 4097 bags of cement. It is anticipated' that slio will get away for New Plymouth to-dav, taking general cargo, and will afterwards return hore to load for southern ports. Athenfo Nearly Ready. _ The time for the departure of tho Shaw-Savill Lino's Atheiiio is drawing near. ..Her coal gangs have undertaken their work willingly and effectively,' and tho shipping of 2500 tons of bunker coal is finished. As to cargo, practically every hold in the ship is full, and, naturally, the amount of dairy produc# which was put on board has been exceptionally large. The finishing:touches will bo put on to-day, and at 3 p.m. to-morrow the big White Star boat will haul home hor linos, and sail for London, It i-s understood that slio will bo well choered as she pulls out from the wharf", for her departure is an event which is being keen lv looked forward to.

New Union's Membership—64o. . All work ceased at 5 p.m. an Saturday. It was a somewhat unusual sight, however, to note dozens of men walking into _ tho labour foreman's office, and inquiring if thore was "any chance of doing a bit of overtime?" Prior to tho strike tho ordinary waterside worker was only too desirous to quit work 011 a Saturday afternoon. Last Saturday, liowovGi, saw the- procedure for once reversed, j On inquiry at the office of the secretary of the new Waterside Union on Saturday morning, a reporter was informed that the roll now numbered 610, these including 50 men who had joined during the course of the morning. About 43 of tho members were men who had left .the ranks of the strikers. Some of these old waterslders .fiavonot actually commenced work, but,'they have signed on, and the opinion is held that thoy will proceed to work after the roll-call meeting of the old Waterside. Union has ta.ken place this morning. The response to the call for workers, in fact, has .been so great that it is now thought, that the membership may have to be curtailed a little. From ' what could bo gathered oil Saturday it appeared that 400 of the men wka are now at work intend to retain their positions, _ and work_ straight on, irrespective of the time when the strike terminates. f High Wages Earned.

During tho past week some of the Arbitrationists havo earned capital wages. Saturday was pay day, and ono man, who ims been fortunate enough to have worked a good deal of overtime, drew £8. There were cases of men who drew £7 and over, and amounts ranging from £8 to £8 were common. There is, of coiirsc, plenty of work offering, as several of the large oversea steamers ha,ve yet to be discharged and loaded. These include the Corinthic, Romuera, Mintiro, and the freight steamer Hercules. In addition there is enough work in tho Harbour Board sheds for a very large number of moil. From now onwards, also, what is known as the "busy season" will be in full swing; and there will bo plenty to do for" months in come.

Nineteen Steamers To-day,

No fewer than 19 vessels aro to be worked in port to-day. Included in tho number are tho oversea steamers Mftrore, Dorset, Atlienic, Rimutaka, and Corinthic. Tho last-named will berth at tho Queen's ,Wharf No. 1 south this morning.- Slio has, about SOOO tons of London cargo to piit out here. The full list of the vessels which will work to-day is as follows Maori, Marere, Corinthic, Himitangi, Qpawa, Putiki, ■ Stormbird, Blenheim, Aorw, Knpuni Arapawa. Manga papa, Dorset, Athenie' Kaitoa, Rimutaka, Kaiapoi, Lfeic Taylor. and Mapourika. Since tho permanent, hands, of tho Union Company's port? staff ImVc returned to work there has been a noticeable difference in regard to the hulks which have been at anchor in the harbour during tho strike period. It is a common sight now to see the tugs nass a line 011 board a hulk and tow her up alongside a steamer. After she has been made fast and the pear rigged, tho familiar rattle of winches is everywhere audible, and basket after basket of coal rise and shoot down into tho steamer's bunkers. On Satiirdav ■several coal - hulks wore working. Moreover, for tho first time since the' strike commenced coal lmfks have been berthed at the wharves, and coal has boon unloaded into trucks. In soino oases the hulks hove remained alongside the wharves without a break since Fridav.