LAWLESSNESS AT LYTTELTON

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1911, 20 November 1913, Page 8

LAWLESSNESS AT LYTTELTON

MORE VIOLENCE* V NEW UNIONISTS ASSAtiLTEDi WORK ON THE WATERFRONT. (By Tfelcgrapli.-i'r.ess Association;) ' : . ChrlstchUrch, Nwember 19.Tim work of haii.dliuj? inward pud out* ward cargttos .at Lyitteltou will begju. Shortly. The committee wliich is ill chargo of th.o matter has arranged everything necessary 'to ensure that once work is Started there will bo no ques- ■, tioii about it being cari-ied oh without interruption,. There is reported tb bo ■ji'leMty of labour and sufficient protection ■ tor (t. Tlie special constables/ who are . to prqtejt the men who are working the ships .from interference and violence iviil.. camp>*n the Iteeresti.o'ii Ground, ancl to • guard against attack from tho hill above by ■eviily-di'spQsed B.e.r.sons, the hill will bo patrolled. the Melbourno Leaves Fort. , When the strtors invaded No, 4 Wharf. yesterday the prow of the stearner Melbourne were iu the midst of. discharging a consignment of hardwood polos tor the Christcburch electrical, installation, and when tho crow wer© ; compelled to cease work there were, twenty-one poles loft undischarged* As it'was anticipated tbat-. little difficulty Would be experienced in discharging her cargo elsewhere tho owners weire more interested in the matter of landing the polos. Th.ei? efforts were attended.with ' success, for in the early hours of tliiis jnorning, befoi-o tho watersidors. nfq'j*' alprt, twehty-ono poles Wore ■unship-, ped and.placed in trucks', for Cbristcliurch. The Melbourne left for Ti'maro at 2.30 p,m> Steamer Wofthern WoiMn_, There was no little surprise' in Ityt* teltoh this morning when it -was.observed at eight o*e'laek that the crew of the steamer Northern again ,toofe up thoir posts bn the vc'sscl preparatory to. cornnie'iicing discharging operations* .A. ■Jittlo later a railway trilck arrived ind' in a few minutes the first sling of cargo was safely landed. \ Jho discharging operatioiis had by tli.is time aroused a food deal of comment from tho large tn- . ux of watersiders and others wlio con-, gregated 'on the railway crossing. It Was; observed that there- were csainmu.nieations passing between the members of the executive and the l , strikers.- the nature >of which Was not apparent to the outsider. . . ' Now Union Registered. The ■secretary . ; of tho now Lyttelto.u Wharf Workers'' • industrial TJijioi of. lias refieived official, notification of the registration, of tlie- union under the Industrial GJoncili.ation ..and Arbitratioii Adt. Enrolment is .going on very satisfactorily and those:, ■applying for membership a'rb incii : who"-. are anxious for. work on the wharves,, Oil tlio'Lincqlh Soad, at abputlO a;pl; r some men alleged to he strike pickets stuck up tj- conveyance t'iikih'g' ■medical Btqres to the ''specials'"'ca.in.pi The:.' ■driver wals 'CaU'ed upon, .by tho pickets' to stop :and was ordered to rotiirn to town. -The demeanour of. the, men giv-' in;g the prdor was such that the driver Obeyed them and returned to town. Wbeh the camp anth.brities were inform-' cd somo of the camp officers went ;to : i town .and succeeded in :gettoiig the medical stores to camp. Farmers Make a Movq. At a meeting of the exeputiye of the North Canterbury Centre,of;"the. Farm' ■ers' TJiiion, hejd this morning, the fptlowing..:.rosolntiqn.. ,waa-tr.passe:a: "Tho.. ■■ Earmers' Union at tho commencement of the strike decided; to -give the, strikers .■a'm'pkj time to return to work: 'be-,'. ■fore taking ail activo part, A direct,' . breach, has .been caused ;by the strikcra att.ackHig tjip miin who.wore loading the steamer .Maori and other boats and the precautious, already tffikfeii by. the community aro justified by this act. We feel now that the farming industry is being endangered and tlipiigh wo do not wisli to take action yet,.wo are reilnct.antly compelled to tal?o all necessary steps'to open the port and deal with our o'utward and inward, cargo." Cowardly Assaults. A member of the'new union was assaulted in Hereford Street .this after-,-noon, He received. ,a biow in the face ■and .Sustained a, .nasty cut on the cheek. An eye-witiiesS stated tbat. the yottng man, W'ho was slightly built, wa.s being followed by the strike pickets, and one. of the latter;, .ft sturdy, thickfSot man, suddenly knocked; him dok'n witlv his fist. Tlie' young fellow picked himself up and went for a policeman, but Ms assailant, took to his heels, and disappeared down a righta'f-'way.' It <is ■ stated that tlie m.sn.nas been hanginga,bou't the 'street for ■■sg.mo days on the look-out for Arbitrgtionist. labourers, Two stewards from tho Pateena who werq vcuturijsoino. enough, to wander up the, .streets of Lytteitoii this morning were, set. upon, by the mob near the Post Office, fine managcdi to get afray Ufthuirt, but the othor received oiio' or twonioro or less serious bruises on tho -faee. The ppportuiie arrival of the police saved liim from further pn-iiishiftent. . Strike Committee's Attltuda. '■ The Chfistehurch .Strike .Commi.tt.ee,; last niglit resolved that all unions be .asked to/stand 'qut if necessary for furcd a months if'-the, trouble is libit ■te.rniiiiate.d hoiiburahly in the ineantimo-. I't.was.'reportqcl that pn.e of the committee's pickets attended the -iiicetiug <f tlie formed Arbitration Uniou of. Wharf Workers and subjnfttcoill-is report..- _,A' largo liufiibei* of striker's' -wore busily •engaged in drilling this .morning in.o.uo.' of tlie back streets of LyttelWii* Sjiepfal Oonsta.qlcs Assembiei ' The "specials" arc- assembling. Tho authgritio.s refuse iiiiy information as 'to their intetftia.ns, .-Sir. H. W. Bishop,. lie jffagj.str.ate-, will .swear iiij the- men, but jt. is: stated, that hd- will'not «llbw;tho i-eportcrs or the .public to be present. Ho- did not iiitciid to hav.o tho men pilloried for .doing -tliei-r dn'ty., It is the. Hspceials" : will 'be; ■ taken to liyttelton fo-mO'rrow morning-. Stores are "being conveyed to. the Atl- ■ di.ngton .camp, where Colonel 'Cni.affey -is tlio -Qnic'6'r eo'm.P.iatid-in'g:; ialso the raeiubers of tlio Citizens' Committee aro busy, l-ehts are being Greeted.. The city "specials" ha : ve fceociwd orders to. go'into camp to-day, with ;(-urt oqi.iirimcnt. The bala.iieo- of the eoi'iiitvy is mipcetotl t'lits afternoon ni.Hl -evening- ,p i'.'a'mway men meet to-flitirfcow fe ■'Coiisidoi' thi? po&ition. E'f-'te'ts-ni-e-iiwng-nvasi'e to indtice tho union to -su'-ppoi-t the strikers, but apparently tlio liiajori'ty of, tlio tramway men rt.roiinfavotirahlo to d-rastic .action being■takcAv - -