GETTING SERIOUS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 50, 30 October 1913, Page 5

GETTING SERIOUS.

THE WATERSIDERS' STRIKE SUSPECTED INCENDIARISM. [Per Press Association.] Wellington, October 29. The shipowners announce to-night that the men having rejected the proposals at last night's conference, which 1 included certain concessions by tlu employers, they can only proceed with out further parley and work ships' cargoes with free labor without furtiier unnecessary delay. THE SHORTAGE OF COAL. A SERIOUS POSITION. "Wellington, October 29. Unless the strike is settled soon the shortage of coal is likely to prove serious for the city. Merchants propose to supply customers in small quantities. The city electric light station has enough to last about a week, and the tram-way powerhouse's supply is only sufficient for a limited period". The Storemen's Union,'at a meeting to-night, resolved to support the waterside workers. A SUSPICIOUS FIRE. IX BATON-MAKING PREMISES. Wellington, October 30.

Batons were being manufactured foi the police in Stewart and Company's building which' caught fire last night. At 5.15 p.m. there was no sign of fire and at six o'clock the place was alight. AN ALLECED BRUSH. ANOTHER SUSPICIONS FIRE. Wellington, October 30. Just before 11 o'clock last night word reached the watersiders' pickets that mounted men were riding into the city. A small band of pickets went to investigate and at Waterloo Quay they met between thirty and forty horsemen in plain clothes who rode into the Post and Telegraph stores yard. Later it was reported that there had been a brush between watersiders and mounted men, and that a striker had been knocked down, the baton with which he was struck being secured by the pickets. All is quiet on the wharves this morning, although hundreds of strikers are gathered in the square.

The Ulimaroa, which arrived yesterday, has aboard a quantity of naval stores for H.M.S. Psyche, now in port. These were discharged this morning by men-o'-war-men. A party of pickets visited the vessel, but there was no demonstration whatever. This was the only cargo handled.

Shortly after three o'clock this morn. ing, the police discovered a fire on the upper floor of a brick building of two stories on Waterloo Quay, belonging to the New Zealand Shipping Company, and used by it for the storage of goods required for the use.of its own vessels. A quantity of straw was found alight, and when the brigade arrived the flames had burned the edges of a pile of fibre matting. The fire was soon extinguished, and the damage was not extensive. The first wool sale was announced for Wednesday next, but it will now libely be postponed. MOUNTED SPECIALS STONED. HIDE AWAY FROM THE CROW? Wellington, October 30. When a score or so of mounted special constables from the country were mustered in front of the police headquarters this morning, they were stoned with newly-spread road metal. They rode away from the crowd.

CARGO CARRIED ON. A RAILWAY TROUBLE. Wellington, October 30. In accordance with a resolution arrived at last night by the Watersiders' Union, no work was doqe on the wharves to-day. The crew of the Navua agreed to work the cargo, but no trucks were available. The Railway Department had ordered out their casual labor, mostly men usually employed at the merchandise wharf. None of them turned up. The Department did not call upon' their permanent hands to undertake the work, and so no free labor was offering. The Navua sailed for Auckland without coal, taking her original cargo with her. The cement aboard her is badly needed for contracts in hand.

The Union Company's Kowhai, bound from Lyttelton to Westport, was signalled on to Greymouth, there being no possibility of unloading her at Westport. As there are no empty trucks available, the coal mines are closed down to-day, and all wharf work is suspended.

Forty-nine racehorses intended for the New Zealand Cup Sleeting are held up at Trentham. An attempt to land Sir Daniel from the Ulimaroa had to lie abandoned. PROCEEDINGS IN AUCKLAND. A CARGO OF FRUIT. Auckland, October 29. Principal interest centered round the Union Company's Island steamer Tofua which arrived at 4 a.m. to-day from Sydney, by way of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. A large quantity of fruit was brought by the vessel. The principal items were 1910 cases of ban-

anas, 47 bunches of bananas, 488 cases of pines, a quantity of beans, and some fungus. It was decided to ask the crew to unload' the cargo. The pickets had by this time been considerably strengthened, and a meeting of the seamen was held, and after a brief discussion they decided not to do the work.

At 1 p.m. an attempt was made by a number of the Union Company's permanent employees to discharge the fruit from the Tofua. A large crowd of waterside workers'and other interested people gathered on the wharf. One of the electric cranes was utilised, and a sling was loaded with 10 cases of bananas. As soon as the sling touched the cargo truck on which it was to be wheeled into the shed it was rushed by the strikers. Hundreds of people gathered round, and one of the watersiders took the opportunity of mounting the heap of eases in order to address those in the immediate vicinity. The permanent workers attempted to wheel the truck through the crowd, and in the course of an altecation which followed some blows passed between a striker and a worker. At this stage Police Superintendent Mitchell arrived, and quickly making his way through talked very serioush to the' strikers who had held up the truck. It was eventually decided that, in the meantime at all events, it would be better to put the bananas hack on the ship, and amid loud cheers from the strikers the cases were taken on board again. The result of the conference of the Onehunga watersiders is that the men, numbering about 70, have decided not to resume to-morrow. Fifty members of the Harbor Board's permanent staff will be sworn in as special constables to-morrow.

SUCCESSFULLY UNLOADED. "FREF." LABOR~ON THE TOFUA. POSITION AT ONEHTJNGA. Auckland, October 30. The strike assumed a more businessUke aspect to-day. Last night elaborate preparations were made to unload the Tofua's fruit cargo,. and a start was made at eight o'clock this morning with the Harbor Board's wharf and office staff, while clerks and others from the wholesale firms interested handled the fruit as it reached the sheds from the slings. One of the truckers was Mr Donald, a wholesale merchant, fittingly attired for such work The watersiders were apparently' taken by surprise. When they arrived at the Queen's Wharf, where the Tofua was berthed, they found the cmav barricaded for its full length w,th immense logs of timber piled on ton of each other. H.M.S. Pyramus had moved right up to the sterfe] and the quay but there was nothing to indicate that this had any connection with the strike anv more than thr tact that an imposing lot of Jack Tars carrying rifles and bayonets paraded the wharf, but nevertheless, it had the full impression on the strikers. Where the Pyramus had stopped firty police afoot and several mounted, under Superintendent Mitchell, Inspector McGrath and Sub-Inspector Johnson were on guard. As the strikers realised the reality of the situation some expressed themselves angrily and loudly and were promptly grabbed by the police and hauled- inside the barricade. They received good advice from the Superintendent and were allowed to depart, doing so quickly. Messrs Semple and Canham and other leaders arrived later, overlooked the preparations and went away without remark.

The Tofua's fruit is first shipped from Hapaii and Nukualoa since the hurricane which left them almost starving. If the cargo is permitted to rot in the ship's hold theirs would be the loss, the fruit being sent on consignment, and produce sent in oxchange by return steamer.

At Onehunga this morning about a dozen watersiders were at work on the vessels in port.

LYTTELTON MEN'S ATTITUDE

CUP MEETING THREATENED

Christchurch, October 29

A mass meeting of members of the Lyttelton Waterside Workers' Union was held to-night, but great secrecy was observed, and information as to the result of the meeting was refused. The general opinion, however, was strongly against a strike.

Should the watersiders' strike not be settled in the course of the next week, the effect on the Canterbury Jockey Club's Spring Meeting will be disastrous. The number that arrived this morning are only a few of many of the North Island horses engaged, most .of which are held up in Wellington. Amongst those still in the Empire city are the New Zealand Cup candidates Bronze, Undecided, Haskayne, Peroneal, Expect, Roosevelt, Sinapis, Sea Pink, Mangaroa, Royal Arms, Imagination, Ariom and Invader. The absence of all these horses from the big two-mile race would have the effect of completely spoiling the contest, and the following would then be the available ones for the race :—Midnight Sun, Bon Reve, La Reina, Emperador, Tannhauser, Thrax, Quarantine, and Cherubini. The North Island horses are well engaged in all other events at the meeting, and the success or otherwise of the meeting will largely depend on the North Islanders.

DELAY IN DUNEDIN.

WORK PROCEEDS AS USUAL

Dunedin, October 29

The hold-up of shipping at Wellington, consequent on the strike, is already having its effect in Otago and

Southland. A fortnight's make of the

Southern cheese factories (.1500 cases) which was to have gone North for transhipment at Wellington to the Rimutaka, cannot now be loaded, and has had to be stored in the meantime by individual factories. Work is proceeding as usual at the Dunedin wharves. WILL THE SEAMEN STRIKE? XO DECISION YET. Dunedin, October 29. When questioned as to the accuracy of the statement wired from Auckland that the seamen were ready to stand by the waterside workers, Mr Belcher, general secretary of the Federated Seamen's Union, said that his union had not yet decided what action it intended to take in connection with the strike of watersiders at Wellington. The position would be a ' matter for consideration by tho different branches of the union. THE POSITION AT CREYMOUTH. .Greymouth, October 30. Matters at the water front are quiet. The Kaitoa proceeded to Westport to load, but returned this morning unloaded, and now loading here for Wanganui. The local union is under the Arbitration Act. N CALLING FOR VOLUNTEERS. Palmerston North, October 30. The Farmers' Union executive held a meeting to-day to arrange to cal! for volunteers to load and -unload farmers' produce, and also for volunteers as mounted special constables.