AT LYTTELTON.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14821, 12 November 1913, Page 11

AT LYTTELTON.

A STATE OF IDLENESS.

. The weather conditions at Lyttelten were ideal for the twelfth day of the strike. Alike on the waterfront and out on the harbour, absolute calm prevailed. For two whole days not a ship had entered or left the Port. Even in their slackest times th* watersiders had not known the like. Save in the immediate vicinity of the Coronation Hall, the waterfront was almost deserted. Tho pickets told off to patrol the wharves and the rare ones whose bnsraess took them to the waterfront, seemed to move listlessly.

J KILLING TIME. Apart from the assemblies at the Coronation Hall, where concerts are j held daily and games of cricket or j quoits are played, what time meetings jof the Strike Committee aro not being I held, the sole occupation of the strikers, save for those who stay at home to till their gardens, seems to be fishing or shooting, Those who are fortunate in the possession of boats, make daily excursions, accompanied by their mat-es, in the outer harbour from the reef down to the Heads, and are generally rewarded with fair catches of red cod and an occasional lin= or groper. Others spend their time fishing off the wharves, but their bags are more uncertain. The hills are at present swarming with rabbits, and for many men tho butcher's bill is saved by an hour spent in the gullies with a shot-gun. A DULL PORT. Tho deadly dullness of the situation in Lyttelton, which has been apparent all the way through, has, so far, stamped the strike locally as one ot the most remarkable in the industrial history of the Dominion. iSave for one or two '"incidents" on the wharf in connexion with the "hold up" of the ferry service, in which only a small proportion of • the men actively participated, there has not betm any excitement. The conduct of the wntersiders has been most exemplary and their share in tho "industrial upheaval" has, up to the present, been entirely passive. WHEN WILL IT END? "When is it going to end?" is the question that is on the lips of most ol the men. The Strike Committee has given it out on several occasions that I the strikers aro absolutely unanimous, and are displaying complete "solidarity," and many of tho men mako tho same profession. A number moro fortunately situated than many of their fellows declare that they aro prepared to stay out for a month—six weeks— or threo months. Tho fact that several of their number had last week mado a move in the direction of forming a new union, and that according to Monday's manifesto of the Strike Committee, one man had admitted his offenco and had promised to be "loyal" in future, conclusively proves, however, that tho men aro not unanimous. There can bo no doubt that a number of the men would welcome the formation of a new union, and it seems just as certain that all, or very nearly all, would gladly receive news of a settlement. Those who aro bitten with "Red-Fed-ism" strongly assert that no settlement under the Arbitration Act is possible. HARBOUR BOARD'S COAL SUPPLIES. The only vessels working in the port yesterday morning were tno Lytfceiton Harbour lioard's dredges .Canterbury and Tβ Whaka, the latter digging in the basin between Nos. 6" and 7 jetties. The Canterbury, which has been dredging both inside and outside, went alongside the Blackball Coal Company's huik Wai-iti to take in a supply of bunker coal—the second since the start of the strike. By ar- j rangement between tho Harbour Board and the Strike Committee the coaling of the dredge has been allowed to proceed without interruption. The coal was worked by the dredge's crew, a permanent hand of the Blackball Coal Company driving the hulk's winch. One or two pickets watched the coaling tor a little while, but seeing nothing to take exception to, left the sceno and work proceeded peacefully. It was stated yesterday morning that the Harbour Board's electric light station had only one day's supply of coal in stock, and that tho dredge Oanter- . bury would land part of her supply to keen the plant going. The permission given by the strikers' regarding the supplying of the Board's plant with coal was understood- to include the electric light station, but it, is stated that objection was afterwards ■ raised to the trucking of any coal from the Blackball hulk.to the station. This is regarded in many quarters as somewhat arbitrary, in view of the fact that the strikers are still enjoying the free use of the Coronation Hall, which is the property of the Harbour Board. The Canterbury has suspended dredging operations for a day or two while her boilers undergo an overhaul. MAORI ANCHORS IN STREAM. After lying idle at the wharf since last Wednesday morning, the ferry steamer Maori left her berth at No. 2 wharf shortly after 8 o'clock yesterday morning, and steamed slowly out through the moles. Had it not been known that most of hor crew were paid off on Monday, it might have been thought that she was leaving on a daylight trip to Wellington. She has retained on her articles only. sufficient of her crew to act as caretakers. Besides her master there are two officers, two engineers, and a few cooks, stewards and deck and stokehold hands. She anchored in midstream, abreast of Diamond Harbour, the "queen ship" of the laid-up" fleet. OPOURI JOINS THE FLEET. Three hours later the tiny fleet at the wharves was reduced in tonnage by more than half by the timber-laden steamer Opouri, which arrived from Greymouth shortly after the start of the strike, and which with a nucleus crew had been' lying idle at the wharf ever since, steaming out to an anchorago also. The fleet of steamers laid up in the stream now numbers nine, with a total gross tonnage of 13,170. AT THE WHARVES. Apart from coal hulks, dredges, and harbour tugs, the only vessels left at the wharves are tho steamers Cygnet and John Anderson and the schooners Annio Hill and Morning Light.

NOTES.

The strikers aro fooling very sore at the attitude of the Union Company's permanent hands coaling the Pateena with coal yesterday, and after tho vessel had left a number of them bailed up one of the permanents, and reproachfully accused nini of workiug with "scabs." "We did not work with free labour," he replied; "wo worked among ourselves." Incidentally it might be mentioned that the permanent men employed by the Union Company at Lyttelton aro not so foolish as to give up their constant billets in order to 20 out on a disastrous strike which might take them into very dangerous quarters besides losing them a regular source of mcome.

When Mr F. Larch, president of the Waterside Workers Union, went on board the Pateena yesterday, he addressed the Union Company's permanent men thus: —"Men, do not be 'scabs.' Do not coal this ship." The reply was instant and unanimous: "Go to h ." Mr Lurch went away without another word.

A story in connexion with the strike reached a reporter's ears last night. A man, employed in a foundry in this city, belongs to a anion which decided to give financial assistance to the strikers by a weekly levy amongst its members. "When the first levy became due, an emissary of the executive, of thermion approached the man in question, who, by the way, is a prominent member of the union, and askod for his levy- The man eaicf he was sorry ho could not contribute as his wife had just undergone a serious operation, and his two children were sick, the medical and other expenses in consequence swallowing op almost the whole of his wages- Instead of receiving sympathy. he was immediately called "scab.' Full of anger, he chased his accuser through the foundry, but could not catch hhn. It is stated that this foundry will have to close down in n fow days owing to "the strike, and as the man must pro-

vide bread and a few comforts for his sick wife and children, ho must earn money, and so is now applying for duty as a special constable or labourer. It is not anticipated that the Manuka, which, according to her timetable, should arrive at Lytiolton on Thursday on her way to Sydney, will go further than Port Chalmers, where it is likely she will remain untiT tho present trouble is settled.