MEN FLOCKING BACK.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1929, 11 December 1913, Page 8

MEN FLOCKING BACK.

iNGRY MEETING OF SEAMEN.

WATERFRONT' WORK!

BUSINESS MEN SPEAK STRONCLY.

. Ifc is, of course, a common-place littlo hit of truism to state that the membership, of tlio new Watersido Union ,' mounts daily. The chief interest lies iin Iww fast it is mounting. Yesterday '53 new'meii eiime forward, and 50 per 'cent.'.,of theso were cx-strikers. This jbrings tho total register well over the J2OOO inark. ' All tho Harbour Board's kirane-drivcrs, savo one, have returned. Despite the weather,, about 1400 men 'were employed during the day, and :later- in ■ the. afternoon (when the Ruahine aiid Maunganui berthed),' about 70 '.more turned to. " There ..wore," in fact, inot enough workers to supply the dcimancK It may bo added, however, 'that a considerable number of unionists I did not seek employment as they wero under the impression that work would he slack' on account of tho weather. .Towards 4 p.m.' evciy available man was'standing by,' and as soon as auyeno jliad'finished off on one'ship he was i snapped up by tho labour foreman, and 'Sent.'to another.

, It was ascertained yesterday that, out of the whole number of men working on tho wharves, only about 400 now require accommodation. Tho assumption ■h that these men aro country members 'of the, new union. Tho remainder aro city men, who have homes to go to at 'tho close of the. day's work. It thus I becomes evident that the latter must 'number 'over 1000, and, also, that it lis their intention to remain permanent•ly at woVlt on the waterfront. Thlrtyono Vosssls. Thirty-one ships wore working yes-. Hcrday. It is doubtful if tho coastal steamer jllipplo has ever left a port so fully [laden as she was .yesterday. At 2 a.m. tho coaster was full to her hatch comb'ings, and tons of freight was loft on the wharf. There was no trouble in Ijnanning her, and departure was taken 'lor Napier and Gisborho at daybreak. , Tho Kahu also left Wellington for 'East Coast bays and Napier shortly beforo 5 p.m. This little steamer wr.a 'down to plimsoll. She was filled up with the cargo which the Ripplo i-could not take. ,

Having finished discharge of iier Lon- ■ don freight, tho Arawa commenced tak- ' ing in consignments yesterday. Sho 'will leave for Lyttelton this afternoon, returning to Wellington later on. Tho iwork of unloading "the Ruahine (from London) and tho Manngaiim (from Sydney) will conniiunco this morning. Tho former, vessel has over 2000 tons to j put out hero. Two oversea steamers-— ; tho Tongariro from London, via Auckland, and tho Rimutaka from the Bluff :— aro due to-day. Tho latter will complete loading beforo sailing for London about tho end of the week. The Blackball Company's Ngatoro will bo engaged ,in coaling tho liner to-day. Tho 1 Tongariro has a fair quantity of general cargo to put out hero.

' Twenty-three Ships To-day» There will bo 23 vessels .working cargo to-tlav. :'l'iiis list; does not include those v/hiL'h to arrivo late, this afternoon.! Two or threo steamers worked overtime last evening. On account of the recent wet weather, the sheds have becomo heaped: up, but it is anticipated that tlicso conditions will not prevail for long. Several coastal steamers will take their departure from Wellington during the next day or eo, and most of. them will carry transhipments..