WATERSIDERS' STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 301, 13 May 1913, Page 5

WATERSIDERS' STRIKE.

SIGNS OF BREAKING UP. STRONG FREE LABOR FORCE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Timaru, last night. Hie watcrsiders' strike shows some signs of breaking up. The three steamers jn port (the Wanaka, Petone, and Invercargill) worked to-day. In the forenoon twenty to thirty unionists, railway men, and members of the Waterside Union, assisted by free labor (new men on wages, not farmer volunteers) worked all three ships satisfactorily. The watersiders called a meeting at the dinner hour. It lasted till after three, and the places of the unionists were filled by "free" men. It is understood that the meeting spun out, waiting for telegrams from the Federation headquarters, and that a number of the men were for turning to, but the majority ruled against it. They will hold another meeting in the morning to finally decide.

If they refuse to resume, farmer hands and the business men's committc purpose to bring in men to do all the P r^ W °'' k - T,le eon "n'ttee has a list of 200 men who are willing to come on at an hour's notice. Seventy signed an undertaking to this effect. U the Pleasant Point stock sale to-dav, home shippers say they will give '-free" men the first right of employment on the ships to come. 'lt is not know what tiie Union Company will do.