THE WATERSIDERS' STRIKE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 46, 24 October 1913, Page 6

THE WATERSIDERS' STRIKE

MEN'S CONDUCT EXEMPLARY. [Per Wellington, October 24. The watorsiders' strike; continues. At a mass meeting this morning Mr Farland, secretary of the Union, congratulated the men oh what he termed their exemplary conduct since they canie out. He deprecated violence of any kind. He admitted that there was every possibility of a new Union, which he'called a "scab" union, beirfg formed by the men who wero opposed to the strike. There was, he said, some talk of a conference between the representatives of the shipping com-' panies and the union, but the union executive had not had anything to do with mooting that proposal. Mr Bruce, assistant secretary, said that in a week's time the executive would know exactly what the position was, and whether the union was in a position to carry oh the strike. If, the union' were defeated, it would bf not oniy a blow to unionism in Wellington, but in the "whole bf New Zealand. . '.'•';.'• ,\ '

, Some ships in the harbor are* being worked by the permanent wharf hands of the Harbor Board and the sliippin^-companies ;and ■ tho ci-ews. Several shipping companies' clerks an engaged-in coaling and cargo-discharg-ing work. , Free labor is. still scarce. Three or four ;tnen, working 5 otjb thf Mapourika this morning were boohooed and heckled by strikers, win were not ■ allowed on niost of the wharveV .'".'.'" ' "FREE" LABOR OFFERING. TIMETABLES BEING OBSERVED As a result of an appeal made tc merchants' staffs. fbi, ; , assistance from anybody in order to help ships to loac 1 and unload, there was a TmS. of volunteers, mostly clerks from: shipping and other bfn'ees. Those overseeing the loading arid discharging of vessels concur in dsecribing thf work in some cases as being done better and speedier than by regular workers.

From present appearances shipr timed to leave' to-night will got away Tho Rimutaka' has three gangs a' Work, and. hopes to be able to keep her timetable arrangements. Thf Maunganui, for Sydney, will probab ly be delayed for a few hours. The colliers' Wairuna and Polierua will Ik paid'off to-morrow. Where any at tempt has been made to comment up on the work being done by clerks the wharves are barricaded.

When work was resumed by free laborers at 1 p.rif. a crowd of about 200 rushed after a tally clerk. An attempt to keep them back at the big' iron gates' failing, the clerk took refuge oil a heap' of goods and tli'e" Crowd demanded that he should .not be allowed to Continue work. The wharfinger promised that ho would' see that that was done if the crowd' went off the wharf, arid this they did.

KEEPING MEN IN 6RDER.

The Waterside Workers' Union have strongly exhorted the men to keep order,but occasionally individuals take maters in their own hands, and several' unseemly incidents, including assaults, are reported. The official picket have not done anything to which exception can be taken. The police exercise much tact and have made no arrests so far, their duty being to prevent collections of men on the wharves' and keep the' crowd moving.