THE WATERSIDERS' STRIKE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 47, 25 October 1913, Page 6

THE WATERSIDERS' STRIKE

MEN'S CONDUCT EXEMPLARY. [Per Press Association.! Wellington, October 34". ; ' The watei-siders' strike Continues. At a mass meeting this morning Mr Faiiand, "secj-Otary of the Fnion, congratulated the men on what he termed their exemplary conduct since they came.out. He deprecated violence of any kind. He admitted that there was every.possibility of a new unibn, which he called a "scab" union, being formed by the men who were opposed to the strike. There Was, he said, some talk of a,conference between.t]he representatives of the shipping 'companies and the union, but the unjon executive had not had anything.to do with inooting''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 on the strike. If the union were defeated, it would.be not only,a blow to unionism in Wellington, but in the whole of New Zealand.

Some ships in the harbor are being worked by the permanent wharf hands of the Harbor Board and the shipping companies and the crews. Several shipping companies' clerks are engaged in coaling arid• cargq-dischar.gr ing work. . Free labor is still scarce. Three or four men working on the Mapourika this morning were boohobed and heckled l>y strikers, who were not allowed on most of the wharves. J '; j. ■. ! .; ■ -. J;^f FREE'' LA^ORIippFERINC; BEI# OBSERVED: Wi i\% f L;lLi_4r ■• '■ ' ' '-■ 3 . e/, f i. •.. •'•'■• ffi ~n Lateif.-

" 'A's a retsuit'of. an jiippeal , riiade. to merchants' 'staffs 'foii;hssistanoe from anybody ,in order to Help ships to load and unload, there was a rusih of volunteers, mostly clerks from shipping and other"ofßces'J ' Those seeing the loading and discharging of vessels concur in dsecribing the work in some cases as being doi&'l>6t= ter arid speedier. by H '. regular, workers. " ..... -,,. ,'

[timed to' leave teVhaght will got, away.. The Rim.ut.aka haw -three gangs at work, and hopes to.be. able to t keep her, .timetable anitngements. The Maunganui, for Sydney, willprobably be delayed for a few hours. The colliers Waimna and- Poherua .will be •paid off .to-morrow. Where any attempt has been made to comment upon the work being done by clerks the ,wh.avy.es ..are barricaded. When work was resumed ' by free laborers at 1 p.rri! 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 on a heap of goods and the ~cVowd demanded that'he should not be allowed to continue work. The wharfinger promised that he would see that that was done if the crowd went off tho wharf, and this they did. KEEPING MEN IN ORDER. 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 assdults,' are reported. The ofiicial picket have not done anything to which exception can bo .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 I keep the crowd moving.