STRIKE RESULTS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 104, 29 October 1925, Page 4

STRIKE RESULTS

LOSS OF REVENUE AND WAGES

THE COMMUNITY PAYS.

As was only natural, remarked the chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board (Mr. M. Cohen) last evening, the shipping strike was very plainly reflected in the returns showing the trade of the port during the month of September, as compared with that of September, 1924. The total decrease amounted to approximately 40,000 tons of cargo handled, and the. arrivals also showed a decrease- of 40,000 net registered tons. The shipments of cheese were 1600 tons below tliose of September oi' last year, and butter shipments were smaller by 800 tons. The revenue was £7000 below the mark of 1024, but during the month there was naturally a lesser outgoing iv labour charges. The average wages of casual workers during tho last week in September were £4 3s per week, but during the first week of the strike period tho average earnings were only £1 19s lid, showing that men who remained loyal and were innocent parties suffered very considerably. Mr. T. Moss remarked that the effect of the strike were by no means confined to the board and workers upon the waterfront. The market for New Zealand goods had been very prejudicially affected, and producers, and therefore the whole community, would, suffer. Mr. G. Mitchell remarked that the board's casual employees had not only suffered a deoreaso in wages, and consequently must have suffered very severely in many cases, but they had been called upon to meet a levy. Ib was a futile business altogether, brought about by tho whim of a. few who had charge of tlio affairs of the seamen, and it was to bo hoped tliat the lesson learned would givo some guidance lo those in control in tho future.