EFFECT ELSEWHERE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 105, 30 October 1913, Page 3

EFFECT ELSEWHERE

POSITION AT AUCKLAND WORK ON TOFUA STOPPED. (bt telegraph— press association.) AUCKLAND, 29th October. Work on the wharves generally is at a standstill, though the Northern Company's permanent hands are" doing what work is necessary with small coasters. Pickets are everywhere, but beyond keeping a watchful eye on things they have not interfered to any great extent. Exception was taken to one man who started on the Northern Company's Waimarie this morning, and in order to prevent any trouble the officials asked him to go ashore. He was not a member of the Waterside Workers' Union. ■ TOFUA'S FRUIT CARGO. Principal interest centres round the Union Company's island steamer Tofua, which arrived at 4 a.m. to-day from Sydney by way of Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga. A large quantity of fruit was brought by the vessel, and it was realised that if the shipments were allowed to remain in the holds the result would ba the loss of the whole consignment. The principal items were 1910 cases bananas, 47 bunches bananas, 48 cases, pines, a quantity of beans, and some fungus. It was decided to ask the crew to unload 'the cargo. Pickets had by this time been considerably strengthened. A meeting of the .seamen was held, and after a brief discussion they decided .not to do the work. The Tofua is scheduled to sail next week on her' return passage to Sydney, via the [slands, but at present it is understood that she has not sufficient coal in her bunkers to make the voyage. If necessary her supply (550 tons) would take her to Newcastle. Seamen on the Richardson steamer Squall and on the Westport Coal Company's steamer Canopus have intimated that they are not prepared to handle cargo. ATTEMPT TO UNLOAD BLOCKED. At 1 p.m. an attempt wafc made by a number of (he Union Company's permanent employees to discharge fruit from the Tofua. A large crowd of watersido worker* and other interested people gathered on the wharf . v One of the electric cranes waa utilised, and a sling was loaded with ten cases of bananas. As soon as the sling touched the cargo truck'on which it waa to be wheeled into the' shed it was rushed by the strikers. Hundreds of people gathered round, and one of the watersiders took the opportunity of mounting the heap' of cases in order to address those in the immediate vicinity. The permanent workers attempted to wheel the truck through the' crowd, and in the course of an altercation which followed some blows passed between a strike' and a worker. At this stage Police Superintendent Mitchell arrived, and quickly making his way through the press, talked very seriously to the strikers who had held up the truck. It was eventually decided that in the meantime, at all events, it would be better to put the bananas back on the ship, and amid loud cheers from the strikers the ca^es were taken on board again. STRIKE COMMITTEE AND FARMERS. By arrangement with, the Executive Committee of the Farmers' Union a conference was held this afternoon between representatives of that association and representatives of the Strike Committee. Those present were Messes. Sample, Malcolm, and Humphreys (representing the strikers), and Major Lusk, Captain Colbeck, Mr. Magill, and Mr. Schmitt (representing the' FarmeiV Union). The ideo. was to discuss the whole position, with a view to seeing if some means might not be evolved of alleviating the present strain. The Farmers' Union and watersido workers have always been on excellent terms, and. the farmers have been mosl sympathetic in supporting the claims of workers in the matter of standard weight bags, carrying _of cement and manure, and other things of mutual interest. The conference lasted an hour and a-half, but at the conclusion both sides announced they had nothing to make public. DRIVERS AND CARTERS. A meeting of the Drivers and Carters' Union will be held to-morrow night to consider the position and to discuss what action should be taken in view of information received regarding the attitude of drivers in Wellington and, elsewhere. AT ONEHUNGA. The position at Onehunga is exceedingly interesting, inasmuch as the watorsiders there have refused to cease work. Yesterday 'afternoon delegates from the Auckland Union went out and endeavoured to persuade the men to cease work. The Onehunga men refused, and when one mail used language which was not quite Parliamentary he was informed that he ran a good iisk of being tipped over the wharf. The men held a meeting last night, and again discussed the position. The result was a unanimous decision to go to work. At noon to-day they found four delegates from the Auckland Union waiting to address them. For an hour the visitors argued with the moil, but the arguments were to no purpose. This afternoon the men were all working. A notice was posted that at 5 o'clock Mr. Semple and others would address them. , Subsequently about seventy men decided not to resume to-niorww. Fifty members of the Harbour Board's perma-

nent staff will be sworn in as special constables to-morrow. "QUITE TIME WE STOOD UP" CHAIRMAN OF AUCKLAND HARBOUR BOARD. iBT TBIEGBAPH— PRESS . AUCKLAND, October. Mr. J. H. Guneon, chairman of the Harbour Board, said to-day: — "My own opinion, k that tho Employers' Association should at once call together not only its members, but all employers of labour, including those in the country, as it is quite time we stood up against the attitude of the station primarily responsible for the position to-day. Upon analysis it will be found that tJie extreme section is but a small handful, and that ' the great body of workers are /sane. That eing the case, the sane element must finally assert itself. The jeooner that position is reached and tho agitator is a thing of the past, tho better it will be for all concerned. In any case, whether a settlement is made at an early date or is long delayed, only one result can follow — that is, the men, with theft." wives and families, must also suffer the penalties which they will inflict upon others. That is a far more serious result from the strike than any other disabilities which may temporarily be inflicted upon trade or capital."