ON THE WATERFRONT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 43, 15 November 1918, Page 6

ON THE WATERFRONT

ALL WORK STOPPED FOB A WEEK. The climax of the-epideniic, as far as it alfects shipping, was reached yesterday morning, when the local Waterside Workers' Union decided that all work on the wharves should be stopped for a week. A further meeting of tho union will be held at 9 o'clock this morning, when thj question of stopping work for seven days will he reconsidered. The' ships that , remain untouched by the disease may be counted on the fingers of one hand. Yesterday was .another big day for the ambulance van drivers. Sufferers were removed from the steamers ifoaua, Mapourika, Hippie, of the South, and Hnwera. The delay o.f the Mapourika at Xclson on Wednesday was caused by the necessity of the transfer of Mr. .Anderson, chief officer, and two of the crew to the local hospital, Tho vessel arrived at Wellington yesterday afternoon, and is ' to sail at noon to-day for Picton and Kelson. / , With so many seamen ill it has been with infinite difficulty that the interisland -ferry steamers were kept .running to a slightly disconnected timetable. Yesterday, however, there was no boat for the south, the Union Company being unable to dispatch the lloana, The Mararoa left Lyttolton at 9 o'clock last night for Wellington, and should arrive about 30 o'clock this morning. Discussing the decision of tho wharf workers, a local shipping man said that the trouble was the, outcome of the attitude of the Health Department. One infected vessel, ho said, was allowed to come alongside the wharf an infected ship and to remain there with absolutely i no supervision. Her crew were freo to i come and go at their own sweet will, '. and similarly the civilian was allowed to j go on board the vessel. Even to-dny, the ■ shipping man added, there was abso- ! lutely nothing to prevent a casual passerby going on board this vessel, and the same applies to Clyde Quay Wharf, Where 'the Takapnna. Kaknpn, etc., are bertbI ed. What, askr>d the shipping man, is the use of inhalation cbin.V.rs to. prevent disease gaining ground when those actually infected are free to pass among the people, and the populntion are free to enter infected vessels? What is wanted is a common-sense application of the rules of health-tlnse on infected vessels should not be allowed on shore, and no one from the shore should be avowed

on board the vessels. All infected vessels should bo ordered to the stream, there to remain until purged of infection.