400 MORE MEN RETURN.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1914, 24 November 1913, Page 6

400 MORE MEN RETURN.

GOAL BOAT'S SEAMEN WALK ASHORE, WAGES LOSS SAID TO BE £46,650. (By .-/Telegraph.—Frees Association.) Auckland, November 23, Nearly 400 iuc-n returned to work on Saturday, including a number of carpenters, labourers and furniture workers, making n total at ivoric in the occupations affected by the strike of 4700. It is expected that all tho timber workers, carpenters, and painters, and a good many carters will resume to-morrow. Tho painters .and timber workers' unions have officially declared tho strike off.

Considerable excitement prevailed on tho waterfront on Saturday, when it was whispered about that tlio i'yramtts had received orders to propar© for sea. Shortly before- 4 p.m. the collier KomaU was brought alongside, And coaling commenced. Immediately tho Komata *had been ' secured alongside tlio warship about 300 foot "specials" now located ou the Queen's Wharf, were marked round to' in tho work of coaling. Tlio "specials" entered into tfoo Work with great zeal, and at 4 p.m. tho first baskot of coal was tipped into the warship's blinkers. Thereafter tho work proceeded at a 'brisk puce, and it Was completed shortly after 11 p.m., when tho tally showed that about *2SO tons had. been stowed away, whidi is considered to bo a creditablo piece of work. Only tho two forward hatches of tho collier were worked, and tho ineu woro cheered on h,v the strains of musio from tho bagpipes,- which was almost continuously played on tlio Warship by a uniformed constable. -• At the completion of tho work tho "specials" who had assisted tho crew -were addressed by Captain Stopford, commander of tlio Pvramus, who ,thanke.d tho men for tho manner in which th.-y had studs to tho Work, and also mentioned that tho amount of coal taken in during tho hours was a vety creditable, performance?.

Collier's seamen Walk Ashore. When tlje SO "specials" boarded'the Koffiata several members of tllo Collier's crow resented the "interference" of tho wen, and imiaediaicly walked ashore wiili their belongings* Tho Pyranius cleared _ No. 3 Jetty a few minutes after midnight on Saturday, and as she backed into tho, stream her crow wore greeted by three rousing cheers from tho large number of "specials'* who had turned oti-t to witness lier departure. The warship's efew responded, and a few minutes later the vessel was steam-, ing down, the harbour, and was so.oii lost to sight. It is understood that sl.lo is matins a- speed, trial to Lytteltmi, and will probably log 19 knots.

Loading the Marama—Cood Work, There was a busy seeaio round the xiiail steamer Maya-ma throughout Satiirday, when sling after sling of cargo was being lowered into lier holds eoutuinoii&ly. 'Pho Marama lifted a big cousigiiHiant of iiMtluw) for Vancouver, tho principal itenis beiiig 16,98; boxes of butter, 129 bales flax, 300 oases kauri gum, 40 bags beef, and il carcasses yoal. Captain Rolls, niaster of the Marama, stated to a "Hojald reporter oft Saturday that lie. had never seen such smart work accomplished before, "When the ship reached Auckland on Friday," said Captain Rolls, "No. 4 bold was practically empty, and although load'iug operations were not commenced until about 2 u.m. on Friday, )*et by noon on Saturday oyory available inch of space was occupied by thousands of boxes of butter, ilw ship is now practically loaded, and will get away oil time." Captain Soils was not far wrong in his statement, a's the vessel was fully loaded before 4 p.m., and after a short wait for final •arrangements, elcared tho Queen's Wharf four minutes after 5 p,m. She. is a full ship as far. as her cargo-carrv-ing space is concerned. Leaving port she was drawing about her full depth of water.

Work on tho wharves continued yesterday without much alteration to the conditions existing 50 far as berthage is concerned. In addition, to the largo steamers receiving attention, the Squall, which arrived fro'm east coast ports' on I 1 riday, was berthed on tlio eastern side, of tlio King's Wharf, and a start was macle to discharge her cargo. Three of the Northern Company's fleet, the Ngatiawa from Qpotiki, Ngapuhi from Tauranga, and the Clansman from Russell, caaie in with full cargoes from, various ports, nnd discharging operations on oac.li were iii full swing. Tho WaiMika took in. coal supplies from the Ivomnta, and at tlio. same time was finishing up loading three thousand tons of general cargo for southern ports. A crew liasbeen secured for the vessel, consisting of masters, officers, and others willing ti help in the present time of emergency.

The Tongariro Was also busy taking in coal from tlio Ngakuta, as well as discharging. The landing of flj© heavy cargo on board will <rciupy the best part of Host week. The Muritai was also unloading, a-nd is expected to complete on 'Wednesday, and then sail, for Napier and Wellington. Coal from the Kurow was being worked from ono hatch only yesterday morning, but the supply aboard has almost been exhausted. Other colliers will bo brought alongside early in the week, ant! discharging will bt! pushed on rapidly in order to replenish the diminished quantity available for general use.

Wages Loss Estimated at £46,650. It is estimated that the loss in wages so far has been about as follows:— £ Waterside workers 10,500 Huntty minors S'OOO Carpenters '. 3,506 Seamen and firomen 3,000 General labourers ...; 3 000 Carters 2,800 Hotel and restaurant workers 2,500 Timber wbrkers 2,400 Tramwaymcm • 2 000 Furiiitu.ro Workers 1,500 Northern coal minors 1,200 Painters ; 1,200 Harbour Board employees 1,600 City Council employees 1,000 liricklayors 950 Engine-drivers 000 Hikurangi miners 000 Total £«,650