WATERSIDE TROUBLE

Evening Star, Issue 18998, 21 July 1925, Page 7

WATERSIDE TROUBLE

ONLY THREE VESSELS IN PORT

KOTARE BEING LOADED. The position remains unchanged respecting the dispute regarding the discharging of the Kawatiri’s Newcastle coal. The Wan aka steamed to Port Chalmers yesterday afternoon to go into dock for painting and cleaning, and she is expected to come out of dock tonight. Her later movements are not yet fixed. The Kamo has left also, having taken her departure last evening for Oamaru. Discharging operations on the Kotare hare been completed,_ and the vessel is now loading. She is to sail late to-night for Invercargill with general cargo, including some Oregon timber. The Kawatiri and the Breeze are therefore now the only vessels lying idle at Dunedin. The Canterbury Shipping Company’s coaster is at the Victoria wharf with about 100 tons of general freight under her hatches, and the collier is berthed at the Birch street wharf. The steamer llollinside, scheduled to arrive to-day from Banbury with a hardwood cargo, parts of which are for Lyttelton, Wellington, and Auckland, may ho diverted tn Port Chalmers on account of her draught. The Wingatui is now due to-morrow at about 9 a.ra. from Auckland via ports: She was listed to leave Lyttelton at midday. One or two overseas vessels are among the steamers which arc expected to arrive within a few days. About 150 men hoard this morning’s call. CARTING FIRMS AFFECTED. Carting firms are more or less affected by the lack of goods for conveyance from the wharves. Ono largo company has about 50 per cent, of its men and vans idle, and if no cargo is landed within a day or two tho firm will he compelled to reluctantly dismiss a number of employees. Many merchants are fulfilling orders by having goods transported by rail. Largo quantities are being railed to Lyttelton for transhipment across Cook Strait by coastal steamers. CHALLENGE REGARDING SUGAR. In regard to tho sugar shortage, MiBrown, secretary of the Dunedin Waterside Workers’ Union, said this morning that if a sugar shortage could be proved by tho employers tho union’s committee was prepared to find men who would discharge sugar cargo free of charge, and Air Brown added that any vessel hut the Kawatiri would ho worked if labor were called for. Flo denied the statement that tho Oamaru men received word from Dunedin not to handle cargo from this port. At Timaru cargo unloaded from the Progress was finally reloaded. The Wanaka lias 120 tons of sugar for Dunedin, and tho Wingatui is bringing a largo quantity of general cargo (including sugar and fruit) from Auckland. LATER CALL IGNORED; Tho 1 p.m. call, heard by about twenty men, was unheeded.