DEVELOPMENT AT GISBORNE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17617, 21 November 1922, Page 9

DEVELOPMENT AT GISBORNE.

WATERSIDEBS AND FEES LABOUR

STEAMER.

(SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS. T 'l GISBORNE, November 20. A new development has Arisen in Gisborne as a result of tho shipping holdup. Watersiders did not respond to the call made this morning for labour for the Awahou, tho Richardson Co- s steamer. The Awahou arrived at Osborne early yesterday afternoon from Auckland, via Wiiangarei, loaded with •cement and general cargo. .a he Awahou was one of the boats despatched from Auckland with a scratch crew. The members of the crew aie, however, signed on unuer the new arbitration award conditions. To-day was tho busiest experienced on the waterfront for some time, the S.S. and A. liner Tainui was loading Homeward cargo in the bay, while at the wharf the Tiroa, from Auckland via the coast, was working. In addition several lighters were being loaded with cargo for the Tainui. It was estimated that about 100 men were engaged ° n the waterfront.

"Personally I would not work her (the Awahou), but officially I would not advise the men not to work her,'' declared a prominent officer of the Waterside Workers' Union. He added that tho men could take individual action it they wanted to. He hoped to see the trouble settled soon, as some of the watersiders were feeling the effects of the ships being held up. (PEES'S ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) GISBORNE. November 20.

A conference of producers and business men decided to-day to do their utmost to keep the port open in the event of the watersiders refraining from work. The Tangaroa, from Napier, was unloaded by a scratch gang tonight. '■

APPROACHING NORMALITY AT LYTTELTON. Matters in connexion with, the coastai fleet are rapidly approaching normal and already many of the steamers affected have resumed running to timetable. This week will see several of such steamers, manned by non-union labour, in port to discharge and load. Yesterday the Canopus was manned and sailed last night for Westport. There were only three vessels in port overnight, and of these the.Wahine is the only one held .up. Yesterday many of the union seamen appeared to be willing to go back to work, but there was none to go to. Some of the former crew of the Canopus offered to zo back but they were too late; a non-union crew 1 had already baen booked. The Storm shipped a free labour crew at Wanganui yesterday and sailed for Picton. , T , . The "Wootton took the North Island mail from Lyttelton last night, and the Mararoa is due this morning from Wellington and will sail to-night on the arrival of the 7.18 p.m. train from Christchurch.

WAHINE TO RESUME. It was announced last last night that the 'Wahine will resume in the ferry service to-day, sailing from Lyttelton for Wellington to-nignt in place ot the Mararoa.

ATTITUDE OF UNION.

THE SHIPOWNBES* VIEWPOINT. ; (press association telegram.) WELLINGTON, November 20. "Nothing to say" is still the official attitude of the Seamen's Union. In shipping circles it is assumed that the continued silence of the officials of the Union, combined with ,the f act that the watersiders have remained at' work all through the trouble with the erception of temporary stoppages a't Auckland, Napier and Dunedin, shows that the Seamen's Union is anxious to disclaim any responsibilty for the events 'of tne past ten days. From the men's point of view it would probably he arguea that the men acted individually in giving notice to cease work, and that the Union was not directly cpnecmed. lr this were the case the Union might contend as the men left the ships without any official negotiation! on tlie part or the Union then they should be taken back without the Union being brought into the matter in any way. On.the other hand, the owners insist upon some undertaking being given by the Union itself that the hold-up is really at an end, and that in going back to work the men are accepting the award in the proper spirit. Until' some such undertaking is given, it is maintained that the shipowners are'justified in taking up their present stand. From the shipowners' point of view it is felt that it is more in the public interest to allow the ships to be run by free labour than to run the risk of havino; the shipping servioes held up again after the unionists had been back at work for only a «hort period. ■ '..'_ Tho Corinna, which arrived at Wellington to-day from Dunedin, brought 100 tons of cement winch is needed for the local market. The Kaituna is to leave Portland about Wednesday for Wellington. She will .also bring a cargo of cement. Owing to the immense shortage caused through the shipping trouble, the borough engineer of Lower Hutt has been compelled to dismiss fifteen men.

THE "IRRITATION" STRIKE. SEAMEN MEET WITH A BEBUTF. (special to "the JPRESS.") WELLINGTON, November 20, A new, bat not unexpected, phase in connexion with the seamen's action occurred to-day. The result of (Saturday's ballot was that the men should resume wort on Monday. Many seamen who had ceased work offered to go back to their ships, but the union is still keeping out of the issue, at least as far as the public know. It maintains its policy of silence. Possibly it wants to disclaim responsibility " for what has been called the irritation strike. The owners, however, are not by any means disposed to take the men back without guarantees that such tactics wili not be repeated. Plenty of free labour is offering throughout New Zealand and there is quite a possibility of 'the formation of a new Seamen's Union. The men who went out are already tir;ed of inaction and not at all happy in regard to the situation. As for the public, they have taken the trouble most philosophically, indeed their unconcern has been remarkable and they were evidently prepared to put up with a good deal of inconveni-" enoe rather than see an unsatisfactory situation maintained.