WATERSIDERS’ HALL AT TIMARU

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26396, 14 April 1951, Page 6

WATERSIDERS’ HALL AT TIMARU

ALTERATIONS HELD UP BY STRIKE

From Our Own Reporter TIMARU. April 13. As the roofing materials, which are lying in a ship at Auckland, have not been unloaded because of the waterfront dispute, work on the extensive alterations to the Timaru watersiders’ hiring hall will have’ to stop within the next week. Without the roof on no interior work can be done, and the carpenters have only a few days more work ahead of them to complete the outside.

The hall is owned by the Timaru Harbour Board. It was found ’some years ago to be too small to be used by the 120 members of the Timaru branch of the deregistered watersiderS’ union, and plans were made to extend it along the whole length of the front wall and down one side. The completed hall will be more than half as big again as the old building. When the. present waterfront dispute began early in February the foundations of the hall had not oeen laid. In the first month the workmen were interrupted by the watersiders when they held their meetings each morning at 8 o’clock, but since they were ordered out by the police the only interruption has been the serving of dinner to the servicemen working on the wharf.