WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 March 1921, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE- WATERSIDE DISPUTE. 1 NO SETTLEMENT IN SIGHT. " (Our Special Correspondent;. J WELLINTGON, .March 4, c< There has been no apparent change ri in the position on the waterfront dur- 0 ing the last day or two. A little di- pi version was created yesterday by the B unloading of the Admiral Codriugton, a II vessel belonging to the Poverty Bay F Freezing Company, but the incident has no material bearing upon the dis- r pute between the shipowners and the watersiders. The Freezing Company, which purchased the Admiral Codrington for purpose ol moving its own pioducts, Iras never been in association with the big shipping companies, and its directors, represented in Wellington ’ just now by Mr W. D. Lysnar, M. 1., felt at liberty to make their own ar- | ( rangements lor unloading the ressel and giving her quick despatch. This they have done without diflieulty and ' with results, so far, which seem satisI factory to both parties. A .MATTER OF TACTICS. The incident gave the watersiders an opportunity to emphasis* their reiter- ' ated assertion that they arc ready at all times to accept \y>rk in terms of the existing agreement and to make a display of expedition which has not been common on the wharves during the last few months. At the end ol the day’s work the representatives of the ship II expressed themselves as entirely satisfied with the manner in which the ■- cargo had been handled. No oveitime was worked, but it is understood the e men were ready to go on had they been required to do so. But this little doit moiist rat ion is not going to hasten the settlement of the I rouble. Had the men met the associated owners as they met .Mr Lysnar yesterday probably the disI- pute never would have arisen and, m any case, public sympathy, always the s- deciding factor in such matters, would have linen on their side. «- THE TRIUMPHANT BOOKMAKER. When seen to-day in regard to the d failure of the police to obtain eonvie•e i; (ms j„ the Wellington .Supreme Court v against bookmakers, the Hon E. P. d |,no, the Minister of .Justice, simply leal iterated what he previously had stated id „ n the subject. He was earelully coni'- vjdering the position and consulting his colleagues and the Crown Law office m •d regard to the future, but no fresh ic legislation on the subject would be l- aitempted during the approaching ses- !>- inn of Parliament. It would lie quite 11 impossible, the Minister said, to deal ■y with the question effectually in the it midst of the preparations for the Prime Minister’s departure. The law, bou- -- ever, would stand and it would be vige orously enforced whenever and wheiovei n ilie necessity arose. The Government, ■h a s the representative of Parliament, k aas not going to accept deleai at the ■>. Lands of the bookmakers. ,r LABDUR AND THE IMPERIAL n CONFERENCE. Il is being assumed ’.ere Horn the alhisions made by the two ( hristehui ,, h •s labour niemhers, Mr D. C. Sullivan and Mr E. J. Howard, to Mr Massey's attendance at the Imperial Conference i- that their party in Lhe House w:P d raise more or loss strenuous opposition <1 1,, the Prime Minsiter leaving the Dorn minion in this lime ol financial difficulty and industrial trouble. But the cl only effect such opposition could have , t would he to prolong the session for a (1 day or two and involve the country in ic ~o much additional expenditure. The . n members of the Liberal Party, who by s- the way, are as widely divided as ever 1C on the question of leadership, would not join in the obstruction, and the big battalion of the Reform Party could be ,e trusted to facilitate in every way poss_ sible tlie Government’s arrangements.