LYTTELTON VERY BUSY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1919, 29 November 1913, Page 7

LYTTELTON VERY BUSY.

RECORD DAY ON CARGO. TRANSPORT APPROACHING NORMAL. (By Tclwrrnph—l'rees Christciiurch, November 28. 'l'liero wero busy scenes on every wharf at Lytteltou to-day, and tho amount of cargo handled exceeded that of any previous day. In town absolute orderliness prevailed, and, away from the waterfront, Lvttelton was very dull. Early this morning tho New Zealand Shipping Company's Remuera arrived from Wellington, and berthed at No. 7 Wharf. Sho has 2000 tons of general cargo to land at Lytteltou, and a start was made with discharging at eight o'clock, a number of. new unionists being engaged to work with the ship's crow. The fleet of ships at the wharves today was as follows: —Remuera, 11,241 tons; Rimutaka, 795*2 tons; Dorset, 7630 tons; Marore, 6443 tons; Mimiro, 6204 tons; Canopus, 1337 tons; Kilii, 1122 tons; I'ateoua, 1212 tons; Opouri, 071 tons; Karaniii, 934 tons; schooners Eunice, Annio Hill, Aratapu, Lily, Morning Light, and Eliza Firth, H.JI.S. I'yramus, and several small harbour steamers, making a total of 45,526 tona. Tho vessels in tile stream were: —liaitangata, 1981 tons; Flora, 1223 tons; Kowahia, ID2 tons; and I'etono, 703 tons; or a total of 4764 tons.

Of tho ships at tho wharf, tho small collier lvaramu and schooners Annio Hill and Lily ivero tho only vessels not working. Nine steamers and four schooners wero discharging cargo at high pressure, and long rakes of laden trucks, which wore being mado up in tho yard for dispatch to Christchurch, wore eloquent testimony to tho good work which was being done. Tho ferry steamer l'aie'ona arrived from Wellington shortly beforo midday, her long passago being duo to tho poor quality of tho coal. Sho brought passengers and mails, and also discharged a large quantity of cargo. About twenty-olio new members joined tho Arbitration Union to-day, and tlio total strength is now 121 geuuino workers. Owing tc the non-arrival of tho Corinthie, there was a full supply <f s mcn for every ship which required labour outsido her crow.

| So far, there liavo boon no cases of trouble between specials and strikers, and many of the former, when off duty, stroll singly about the streets. Tho last night's spceials, who guarded tho tunnel woro mado tho object of attack. There is a largo supply of stone for the retaining-wall, which is being built along tho upper road, and one 'if these big lumps of rock was hurled over tho parapet abovo tho tunnel. Fortunately, none of the specials wero within range of it when it fell. From outward appearance, it would liavo been difficult to gather to-day that there was anything in tho nature of a strike on in Christchureh. Transport Work Nearly Normal. . So largo is the number of drivers who havo returned to their work that tho transport operations are practically assuming their normal conditions. A small patrol of mounted special constables wero about the only sign of anything unusual. Messrs. Skolton, Frostick, and Co. havo reopened their bo.il. factory. Tho strikers resumed this morning. . Tho machinists aro to :e----sume to-morrow, and tho benchers and finishers on Tuesday. A largo number of drivers still on strike aro getting full lip of the whole matter. There is more than a possibility of their jobs being given to others, and tho fact that a fourth of tho old union are now -n the now, and that various exemptions havo been granted by their union, is having a steadying effect, and those on strike aro not quite 60 keen as thoy wero a week ago.

Reducing the Specials. Affairs at the Show Ground camp are going on steadily and quietly. Mr John Studholm is in command of four hundred of so mainteds.'and a hundred foot specials that aro in camp at the present time. It is understood that in tho very near future the number of specials will bo considerably reduced, as it is found that 1 their services will not be required; also, as tho men aro drilled and bccomo moro proficient in their work, a lesser number will be able to do all that is necessary to provido law and order. Even at tho present timo it has been found possible to allow quite a number of tho older hands to return to their homes, and to attend their businesses. About one hundred mounted men are detailed for patrol duty, and their places aro taken by a fresh, body of men in tho afternoon, so that all get a fair sharo of work.