POSITION AT AUCKLAND.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 18 November 1913, Page 5

POSITION AT AUCKLAND.

STRIKERS STILL HOPEFUL. CAN HOLD OUT TILL CHRISTMAS. WORK ON WHARVES PROCEEDING. AUCKLAND. Last Night. Auckland lias now entered upon the second week of the general strike. It was expected that this morning would witness a decided improvement in the number of meh returning to work. ... Developments in this connection-, however, are not such as to warrant conclusive evidence that the end of the strike is within immediate sight. The strike leaders declare that they ban easily hold out till .Christmas, •and ara confident that by this time they will succeed in obtaining; if not an actual win on the points at issue, at leaist a satisfactory compromise. This morning the Exhibition staff was further increased, those at work on the buildings and at Wonderland Park totalling about 230. On the waterfront, 450 men con-, tinue tot efficiently cope with all the work. Of this number, however, the strike leaders declare that not .more than seven are members of the old union.

Between 50 and 60 members of the Garters' Union are back at.work, and the City Council is bringing its staff up to its' full working capacity, namely, 500. In the suburbs, some joinery works are going again to-day, and carpenters are at work on various 'small jobs. The strike leaders claim that, generally speaking, the -t.en are qfuitf solid, and in some unions, such a« the engine-drivers, bricklayers, and timber workers, it cannot be said th-t one single man has.- returned to work. Pickets have been unusually active-to-day, and it was a common sight throughout the morning to see squads of mounted specials proceeding at a hand-gallop to various, parts of the city and suburbs in answer to calls for protection against pickets. There is no suggestion, so far, as to when the trams will resume running. -11 Several'colliers are being worked this week, and it is expected that a good deal of the coal will be ready for distribution in the city. There is no announcement up to the present, however, concerning the intentions of the Tramway Company. An important cleVeTopment on the waterfront to-day was the carrying into effect of the decision to bring the King's Wharf into use for xmloading purpctees, so that the big congestion of shipping may more expeditiously be handled. . At an early hour an aoditional squad of specials was brought down to provide adequate protection, and later the Muritai and eight coastal vessels were berthed on the western side. - Operations over the wharves continue briskly, and to-day there were no fewer than 33 vessels of all dej scriptions occupying berths within the protected area. There have been some postponements in the dates of sailing of three

or four of the Northern Company's coasters, due, it is stated, to the great rush of cargo.