THE STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1932, 15 December 1913, Page 6

THE STRIKE.

. SIGNS OF THE END. THE STRIKE CHIEFS CONFERRING. .STILL SITTING. „ THE SEAMEM MEET EMPLOYERS. When the clocks chimed 5 o'clock on 'Saturday the- membership oE the, new Waterside- Union had mounted to 2317. Seventeen new names had been added to the'sheets during tho day. As most people acquainted with tho waterfront know, work on Saturdays usually eases off a little*, and for this reason only 1200 men were actually engaged. Moreover, less transhipping work was going forward than had been the case on previous days, the only vessels receiving this class of lift being tho Katoa, for Napier, Gisborne, .and Auckland, tho Nikau for Nelson, Aorere for Patea, ■jnd Blenheim for Blenheim. Six over'iea steamers were working hatches, tho •complement of men allotted ,to the.se >eing about 600. ' :

Expectations are that the New Zealand Shipping Company's Riiahino will bo ready to leave Wellington for Lyttelton towards "the end of this week. After, hoisting in general cargo at coastal ports she will put back here before, finally beginning the' Home journey on January 8. During tho course of Saturday the Rimutaka was "bunkered" by the Blackball Coal Companv's coal freighter Ngaioro. The bio- Home hoat is to quit Wellington for London St daybreak to-morrow. According to iho New Zealand Shipping. Company's •time-table Jier sailing had been scheduled for November 13, so that tho strike iias kept her back nearly five weeks .the same company's steamer Rcmuera •will also bo about nine da<-s late in getting away for London.. She will sail early on Saturday/ December 20. Further Coal Freights. ' Two coal cargoes ,are : to arrive in /Wellington- from Newcastle either tomorrow or on Wednesday. The bottoms an which these shipments are being carried aro the Blackball Companv's s.s. iNgahere and s.s. Ngakutu. One of those, colliers will "bunker" tho Rcmuera for the London trip. It is understood that the Union Company's Mauliganui will proceed from Sydney to New-castle tins trip to ship bunker coal. _.1 he Eastbourne Borough Council's ■Ferry Board has entered into satisfactory arrangements for the supply of coal for a period of two years. "The . Agreement contains a "strike clause," nnd failure of the coal connwiiy's supply, by reason of the existing strike, may cause a temporary rise in price. The. lorry Board has a sufficient quantity of coal in hand, however, to carry t on the service to the end of the year at ' the price originally agreed upon". Inquiries were made on Saturday concerning the stocks of coal on hoard the hulk fleet in tho stream, and it was found, that several of these "old warriors".still have large Quantities under , hatches. It is also stated that the ■ smaller coastal steamers, as well as tho TJn'ibtf Company steamers now in commission, will not exnerienco any difn- : culty in obtaining enough coal to keep them running for some considerable time, without the help .of coal which is on'-its way from Janan, South Africa, Australia, and England.

Cootls Stuck Up at Sydney. 'A cablegram lias been received by the local office of the Union Company stating that the carters at Sydney had refused to move; transhinments" ex s.s. Otranto, Ostcrley, Or'ama, and Orsova to a steamer which was loading for NewZealand. In consecmenco of this tho goods are now stored at Circular Quay at tlio consignee's risk.. Large quantities of other transhipments aro also -held up at Sydney. Much of these transhipments comprise Christ-mas' goods.