POSITION AT AUCKLAND.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 12 November 1913, Page 5

POSITION AT AUCKLAND.

TWENTY BOATS BEING WORKED

A FEW SKIRMISHES

STRIKE BELIEVED TO BE BROKEN.

AUCKLAND, Last Night. To-day witnessecTm Auckland a series of important' developments.. Twenty Home and coastal boats IjoaCs were brought up to the wharves, and were worked by members of the new Watersiders' Union, which now has a membership of nearly 400. Mot only were goods loaded, but they were carted "without molestation through the streets of the city, escorted by mounted specials and convoys, and consigned to the various warehouses in and' .about the lower part of the city. Big crowds lined the streets and watched with interest"'the turn that events had taken, but beyond an occasional skirmish thoro was no trouble from the crowd.

Another feature of the day's doings is the fact that the police now have a very complete control of the city I WKen the mounfeds were first mobilised, they were quartered at Otahuhu. Then they transferred to the Domain. Next they took possession of the waterfront, and yesterday they moved their line of operations along the various . streets leading to the waterfront t as far as Fort stretet. To-day they are In possession of the city. A squadron patrols Ponsonby road and other main \thoroughfares. A smaller corps followed up the pickets, and with a view to travelling from point to point quickly .when required, ' two motor ~"dars containiug specials are busy on the outskirts. These precautions are being taken as_ a result of various complaints by' tradesmen in the suburbs that they have been subjected to rough handling by pickets. In view of 'tiro, succosk attained this morning in working the cargo on the wharves, and also in carting? goods to and, from the waterfront, the opinion is entertained in many-, quarters thai the strike is broken. : The Employers'' Association, in a bulletin issued last night, expressed the opinion thuT "the .strike was collapsing. The Mayor, in the course of an interview this morning, remarked that things Were rapidly returning to normal.

In 'the Trades Hall the news appears; to occasion less concern, arid the strike leaders aver that their cause is not in any way prejudiced by to-day's developments. Throughout yesterday afternoon thousands of people thronged the streets in the vicinity,of the wharves and it was feared that trouble was brewing.

About four o'clock there were several brushes between the police and the strikers. Outside Winstone's office in Customs street, tho crowd surged excitedly for an hour or more. The mounted police rode ropeatedly through the crowd, and several stones were thrown, one of which struck a mounted man on the back, but did not inflict any injury. In Durham, street "and Beach load thero were also scenes, .

Last night was quiet, and the. most uneventful recorded since the strike began. The police have adopted a very determined course of action, and allowed no one within sight of the Waterfront. The crowd was compelled to concentrate in the main thoroughfare of the city, and here it was kept under complete control. At any sign of trouble, the mounteds up and pushed the crowds back- . - , A powerful searchlight, worked from Terry's buildings, threw its rays up the full length of Queen street, arid- there was no cover of darkness beneath which hoodlums could have practised. During the evening one or two persons were arrested for using abusive language,' but otherwise there was no excitement. This afternoon waggons escorted by very small bands of specials penetrated to the various parts of the city, and wero mostly greeted with cheers.