WHARF CRISIS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 February 1921, Page 5

WHARF CRISIS.

WELLINGTON STOPPAGE, MANY MORE SHIPS IDLE. EARBOR BOARD DISCUSSES DISPUTE. CHAIRMAN EXPECTS EARLY END. 9 By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. There was no material alteration in the position on the waterfront to-day, except that the number of ships idle was considerably augmented. The secretary of the Watersiders’ Federation was approached again to-dajL but he declined to make any statement' for publication. At t'he Harbor Board meeting to-night the chairman (Mr. J, G. Harkness) reviewed the causes which led up to the crisis on the waterfront. It had been argued that the refusal to work overtime was due to individual action on the part of the men, but they could not overlook the fact that it was carried out very systematically, and t'he question arose whether it was not done through the concerted action of the union. If, however, he was asked for an unbiased opinion he would say it was not going to be a serious thing. He thought the men were in the wrong, and they must admit it, and he was hopeful that next week would see the men returning to work and carrying out their agreement in its entirety. A special point in that connection, erf course, was whether it would be possible to get some guarantee of the work being carried out according to the agreement between the shipping companies, the Harbor Board and the union. A lengthy discussion followed, in the course of which several members expressed the opinion that casual labor was the root cause of the trouble, and they contended that the dual system of the control of waterside labor should be abolished, and the Harbor Board ought to be t'he sole employer of labor on the wharves.

(Mr. Chapman (Labor member) said the real cause of the present trouble was the refusal of the shipowners to meet the men to discuss the three shillings bonus. Mr. Turrall (shipowners’ representative) said the award gave the men threefarthings an hour, but the shipowners had offered them a penny an hour. This the men had refused, so where was the use of a second conference! The shipowners could not give more, and the men should abide by the award of the Court and carry out their agreement. The chairman claimed that the board was not directly concerned in the present dispute. Mr. Turrall said that if the shipowners gave way on the overtime question the board would be equally affected. Mr. Wright: “The shipowners are fighting the board’s battle.” Mr. Harkness said that he meant that the board was not directly concerned in the origin of the dispute. He recognised that the board was affected once the dispute was begun. They had to bear the loss. He earnestly hoped that the matter would be amicably settled, and that the men would go back to work next week.