WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17687, 26 July 1919, Page 9

WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS.

ARE THE WATERSIDE WORKERS BLUFFING? OYER-ANXIOUS PUBLICS . MISTAKE. (From Ode Own Correspondent.) . WELLINGTON, July 25 Tftere is a very strong suspicion that the refusal of the Wellington waterside workers to wort the Briton and other steamers today is not based on the alleged reason that the ship enmo into port with influenza on board. It is indeed quite cortain that the watsrside workers havo no 6uch fear of mfiuenza as they aro represented to have J. ho suspicion is that thoy havo other very strong reasons for not wishing things to go smoothly on tho waterfront at'prcssnfc. It will be remembered that a few days ago the Minister m Charge of Coal Distribution mado a statement of tlio whole position, in which h,3 said that some 75 ODO tons of coal were in sight, arid that a good doal of coal was being brought from overseas. Ho had always shown the utmost rcMuctanoo to give these figures, and he did not do so in tho end until tha pressure from the publio was extreme. He did not want to give away the position, but he was almost compelled by force of public opinion to do so. Hie Government was boin<r dslugod with requests for the resumption or extension of tho services on the railways, so that it was quite clear that th,3 general public did not understand tho sori- | ousness of the situation.. General statements had boon made often, but tb» publio did not believe them. Many peonlo do not believe yet tliat tho Government is in such need of coal as tho Ministers tell them At any rate, the Minister did .give awav P*"® to en amies, and h e had probably rcgTctted ever since that ho did so Ho ha/3 really no free choice in tho matter iJie government was being so much embarrassed by tho demands being made, for more trains that the facts had to bo given whatever the result, was to be. ' °?° ? f rwufe is this stoppage of work at Wellington. Too much coal was being brought into New Zoaalnd from overseas to suit the plans of tho coal miners tor they axe beaten as soon as the country can bo made even partly independent of them. Thoir meeting with the employers will take place soon, and thov hope to have the country m such a state by that time tha,t they will be abje to dictate terms Iho watCTsido workers are linked up with tho miners, and. the part of the waterside workers is to make it difficult for ' the Governmant to get so much coal by sea. In part hero at present is tho Port Victor whmh was to havo gono to Newcastle after discharging to br.ng back a cargo of ooal. xho Briton is going to Newcastle also and it i* understood that she was to bring' back coal. If th<-p ships are delayed hero for periods on frivolous pretexts it is quite possible that tho Shipping Controller may that no more overseas vessels shall be used fcr tho carriage of coal for Now negotiations did Wk> bhippmg Confcrollor consent in the first mstarwo to the use of the ships in this work Jn tho end the waterside workers will let the shins away and will proba-bly unload the ooal when they bring it back, "but their end is at least partly achieved if tho shipments are aolnyed.