THE WATERSIDE.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 January 1917, Page 4

THE WATERSIDE.

Curtailing Night Hours. The decision of the Westport wafersiders not to work at shipping between the hoars of 10 p.m, and 8 a.m, came into 6ffeet on Friday night. All work along the waterside closed, except for * the arrival and despatch of the Union Steam Ship Company’s passenger steamer the Maponrika. The railway men at the goods sheds' were also absent, and work at the crane wharf cameto a standstill.' Considerable interest was taken in tbe proceedings on the arrival cf the Maponrika from Greymonth at 11 p.m. The cargo intended to be despatched by ths Maponrika for Wellington is now beiDg sent by the Kokiri. This includes butter from Bailer and Kararnea factories for export.

Oa the merchandise wharf there were bundles of personal luggage. These the local carriers took on board the vessel.

Travellers’ samples and tbe gangway were handled by tbe Union Steam Ship Company’s permanent staff. This is usually done by the watersiders employed at tbe goods sheds, with the ia : lors attending to the slings. The sailors kept to their duties aboard the vessel.

How the new system is going to work was tha aubj ct of discussion by tbe many people who had gathered to watch operations. Prominent waiersiders did not anticipate any trouble, although it was suggested that they might have to face a lock-out this morning. They are convinced that the new Bystem can be worked satisfactorily, but that it may\take some time before the powers that be accept it.

Watersiders state the intention is to counteract the growing tendency of the shipping authorities to make Westport a week-end port. The vessels are all on the move, laden, by Saturday midnight to the middle of the week, and than rush back empty for the remaining part. The conseqnence is that men during the middle of the week are comparatively idle and have only discharging of cargo or nothing in the early part. Towards the end of the week, they are kept busy trimming coal. During the greater part of the week they are liable to short calls, with longer hours in the remaining portion. They never know when time is their own, and cannot employ idle time at any other occupation. They have to go to read the board at 8 a.ra. and 4 p.m., prevent-

ing them from following any side line. For instance, a man attends at 8 a.m. and is told to stand down. He returns at 4 p.m, and finds he is ordered out at 2 a.m. He begins at that hoar and works on a two hours’ call, being sent. home at 4 a.m. with the modest sum of about 5/, losing for it two days and one night's rest. Asked what remedy they oonld sag - gest, they stated more daylight work, and night work within reasonable hours. This port could be worked from Wellington and other porta with almost clocklike regularity, the majority of the vessels, with a discretion on the part of the management, arriving within the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Local residents, stated one wateraider, have only to recall the time when they had to stand on the wharf at Westport between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m,, awaiting the arrival of the Arahnra aud other passenger steamers, to recognise how inconveniently is ran at Westport. A great advantage would accrue to this port by running the passenger vessels so as to arrive within reasonable hours. Some of the men state they fully anticipate that the shipping «.nd coal companies will attempt to muke their cross a heavy one to bear, for a time, inasmuch as they will try and double their gangs

and possibly import as mnch coal eb they can, bat the natural sequence to this will be Government intervention with a graduated tax on imported coal, or the nationalising of the coal and the shipping industries. A conference is to be held at Wellington on the 25 h, when some eolation to the difficulty may be found.— Westport News.