SHIPPING HOLD-UP.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2242, 22 February 1921, Page 2

SHIPPING HOLD-UP.

WATEEFEUXT DEADLOCK

At noon yesterday there were fourteen vessels idle at Wellington, as against seven on Saturday. The fresh arrivals were: Ivanna, with sugar and general cargo from Auckland; Kona (barque), with full load of coal from Newcastle; Komafa, with 2,000 tons of Westport coal; Wairau, from Blenheim; Wootlon, from Lyttelton; Baden Powell, from Lyttelton; Pakeha, from Piet on to complete homeward loading.

There appeared to lie about 800 men on the wharf when the S o’clock call was made. Sufficient men to work the ferry boats were engaged, but no others. One estimate of the watersiders unemployed made the figure 700. The number of idle boats is added to to-day by the arrival of the Athenic (from London), the Moana- (from Sydney) and the Garbeta (with Australian coal). A number of small bouts are also added to the list. It would seem as though the employers were not expecting an early settlement, for arrangements were made to take all the idle boats into the stream. Other boats due to arrive will anchor in the stream instead of berthing.

■ Yesterday the new order to the men to continue working' until the whistle sounded at noon instead of knocking: off from fifteen to twenty minutes earlier was put into operation . The men obeyed the instruction, evidently preferring this to the loss of half an hour’s wages. A cheer went up from some of the men when the whistle went. POSITION' AT DUNEDIN. Dunedin, Yesterday. The position on the Dunedin waterfront i- practically unchanged. No fresh labour was engaged (o-dav. About two hundred men are idle. The men employed on the Sealda. Corinna. and Calm are working normally. The Corinna sails to-night for the North, and the Calm to-dav for Bluff. The steamers idle to-day are the Kaiapoi, Tara worn, and Te Anau.