ALL QUIET AT LYTTELTON.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1912, 21 November 1913, Page 9

ALL QUIET AT LYTTELTON.

.1 A LITTLE WORK DONE. INTERESTING TRAMWAY BALLOT. {By Telejtraph.—Prees Association.) Chrlstohurch, November 20. The striko has now completed its third week. The position in Lyttolton to-day was unaltered, and everything was qniet. l {Crowds of strikers and out-of-work seamen and firemen were gathered about the Post Office corner and the railway gates, in consequence of their belief tiiat specials were arriving at the port at 2 o'clock this morning. A large number of strikers and others stayed up all night, and posted themselves at various strategic positions, which the specials would have to pass to enter the town. No specials arrived. The Maori arrived from Wellington at 7.25 a.m., and berthed a few minutes later. Her passengers and mails were landed without any trouble. . About- 200 strikers gathered in the vicinity of the Post Office, under orders from their leaders. They formed into a procession,. and marched to the Oddfellows' Hal), in Winchester .Street, where the usual meeting was held. The only steamer working cargo in Lyttolton to-day .was the Northern, which is making good' progress with the discharge of her general merchandise. The Northern is expected to,, completedischarge of the Lyttolion portion of her cargo by Saturday, night, when she will sail for Dunediu. The steamer Defender made-' a start this afternoon to unload.her cargo of timber. The captain and officers passed the timber up from the ship to the railway hands in the truck, and there was no interference by the strikers. A number of racehorses and a truck of stores were shipped by tho Maori. Work at the Northern proceeded uninterruptedly. It is rumoured in the port that tho strikers intend to give the special constables "one good go" when they arrive. No word has been received in Lyttelton as yet as to when' they will come. Ballots of members of the Christchurch Tramway Employees' Union on questions of affiliation to the, United Federation of Labour, and to the Social Democratic Party resulted in both proposals being negatived. Of 230 papers sent out, 198 were returned. The voting on the question of affiliation' to the United Federation of Labour was: For, 80; against, 118, a majority against of 38. On the question of affiliation to .the Social Democratic Party, voting was: For, 88; against, 110, a majority against of 22.