SHIPS IDLE

Taranaki Daily News, 1 March 1921, Page 5

SHIPS IDLE

WELLINGTON DEADLOCK. HEAVY LOSSES INVOLVED. THREAT OF COAL SHORTAGE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. To-day could be viewed the spectacle of fifteen boats, including eleven Home liners, anchored in the stream. Work on the waterfront generally is at a complete standstill, and no further developments are reported. The only vessels working to-day were the Hororata (loading Nelson fruit for London) and the ferry steamers, on which there is no overtime work. While a boat is in the stream it is essential for safety purposes to keep up steam, and although the bfljits are earning nothing, the officers and crew must still be paid and “found.” It is stated that demurrage on a passenger liner is about £stfo per day, and on a cargo boat about £250 per day, and is is estimated, therefore, that the hold-up of liners in Wellington is costing at least £5OOO per day. The actual loss to the shipping companies is probably more than double that figure. It is estimated that the water aiders, through their idleness, are losing between £lOOO and £l7OO daily in wages. Although there are 15,000 tons of coal in ships and floating in the harbour, industries are threatened with a complete stoppage owing to a shortage in the city. The City Council showed much foresight, and during the past few months it has adopted a policy of buying whatever coal offered, even though the price asked was considerably above normal. Firms which discriminated between high-priced and low-priced coal are now feeling the pinch. Because of this foresight the general public is not suffering to the same extent as it did at the time of the Calm hold-up. The railways are said to be fairly well supplied. A shortage is reported in some industries, while in isolated cases there are only a few tons in hand. The position is becoming critical. Owing to the serious -shortage of coal several manufacturing concerns will have to close this week. A city brick-kiln is closing down to-morrow, and this will throw 30 men out of work. The employers’ notice to the drivers will expire to-morrow, when 50 per cent, of the men engaged in wharf work will be dismissed. A large number of storemen have been put off. It is feared that the Waterside Federation’s reply to Saturday’s conference will not be available till the end of the week. THIRTY VESSELS HELD UP. FIFTEEN IN THE STREAM. MERCHANDISE DELAYED. Says Saturday’s Wellington Times: — The vessels now held up at Wellington comprise the Ruahine, Rimutaka, Otarama, Hororata, Kumara, Athenic, Pakeha, Raranga, Northumberland, Dorset, Port Hacking, Garbeta, Kanna, Koranui, Calm, Rosamond, Baden Powell, Rona (barque), Kapuni, Hawera, Komata, Hinemoa, Invercargill, Wootton, Blenheim, Opawa, Waverley, Wakatu, Kapiti, and Stella. There are fifteen steamers anchored in the stream, comprising the Kumara, Pakeha, Athenic, Otarama, Rimutaka, Ruahine, Raranga, Port Hacking, Calm, Garbeta, Kamta, Koranui, Northumberland, Rosamond and Dorset. The steamer Viking Star, which has been loading meat at the Glasgow wharf for the United Kingdom, completed her local work on Saturday and sailed at 6.20 p.m. on that day for Napier. Her departure has thrown another lot of watersiders out of employment. The only vessel now working cargo at Wellington, apart from the ferry steamers, is the liner Hororata. The Union Steam Ship Company’s R.M.S. Marama arrived at Wellington on Sunday from Sydney. The vessel has cargo to discharge, and is to load for San Francisco. The preset arrangement is for the Marama to sail to-day for Rarotonga, Papeete and San Francisco. The Union Company’s inter-colonial steamer Manuka will also arrive at Wellington to-day from Sydney with cargo. The vessel is timed to leave Wellington next Thursday on the return trip to Sydney. If the waterfront trouble is not overcome by then the Manuka will take her cargo back to Sydney, as did the Moana. NO CHANGE AT DUNEDIN. ANOTHER VESSEL HELD UP. Dunedin, Feb. 28. There is no change on the waterfront. The Paloona arrived yesterday from Melbourne and has been laid up. POSITION AT AUCKLAND. UNEMPLOYMENT INCREASING. WOOL SALES POSTPONED. Auckland, Last Night. As the outcome of the watersiders’ dispute, the Auckland wool sales have been postponed till March 21. A number of drivers have been thrown out of work as a result of the operation of the notices given a week ago. The Gas Company men to-day received a week’s notice. The manager stated to-day that if the dispute ia not settled within a week some of the furnaces would probably have to be let down, in which case it would be some time before a normal gas supply could be given, such period being any time up to a month, according to the degree the retorts had become cold.