West Coast District

Maoriland Worker, Volume 4, Issue 146, 19 November 1913, Page 3

West Coast District

Where Labor is Grandly Solid .. A — - ihe Situation at Westport

By E. EIRIM

(Secretary, Westport Va'twreMfcre' Union). The Blackball dispute, was th* bo maing of t.he fwlinp in this anion, a.nd perhaps it would have been bettor if a stind had bw-m made- then, but thse union was 'ready if cnlW upon, by the Executive. AnyHow, the rankling remained after this wae settled. sme the Stockton afair and the Denniston trouble,- to be topped off '»-T ' &e'victimisation at Hiu+clr and £b.« Wellington dispu+6. WHAT BLOUGHT THE OEISIS her© -rajs the fad: that the Komata got orders to proved to Auckland after sbe was about loaded, aJid then ihe Canorus put her nose north, ako the Kaituna. All these events made the hri nation stronger. The Taviunui arrived here from "Wellington, and there being some doubt about her cargo, and what had transpired in "Wellington in regard to brxr, we wired the Secretary of the United Federation of Li tor, Mr. Hickey to let us know how she stood respecting any cargo eh© had consigned to Wellington, telling him that we did not intend io handle her cargo if we had to touch t'ds Wellington cargo to get at Westport. This was on. Monday evening, c.nd as she started at midnight and we had no word, our chairman, Mr. Dunn, satisfied himself *hat everything wae right, a* far as Wellington cargo was concerned, and she was unloaded of her Westport cargo, Bailing for Grey at 6 o'clock Tuesday monaug. At 10 o'clock a wine cam© from the President and Secretary of the U.F.L. Instructing us not to handle her as SHE WAS A SCAB. You can imagine how our men Mt, especially as the Kaituna was in port, loading for Auckland. Hearing that the Navua had loft for '-.ere, and. reading in the papers that she had been concerned in the trouble in Wellington, we decided to hold her up until we got definite word from the Federation about her. Wβ notified the Union Co. to that effect, and when the Navua arrived she was tied up to the wharf and left alone. In the afternoon word came through that she was not to be handled, and we notified the Co. An attempt was made by the Railway authorities to obtain volunteers to unload her cargo, but none could be procured. Her crew , were thereupon ordered down the hatch to sling and send out. However, the' delegate on board was spoken to by the Watersiders, and he went and called them up from below and they all came on,the wharf and REFUSED TO SCAB. Thie finished the incident, and at 9.30 a.ra. she swung out and sailed for Auckland. The same evening a meeting of the union was held, and as it was realised that directly boats coming from unaffected ports were loaded and got across the bar, they could sail for where they liked, it was carried by an almost unanimous rote to step all work at Westport. Steamers kept arriving, and as they could not get cargo they were bunkered by the officers, aa the crew would not trim the bunkers and proceed to sea. THE PORT DESERTED. To-day the port 13 practically deserted. The Strike Committee is sitting continuously, while telegrams congratulating the wateraiders are coming, in from all the militant FOOD SUPPLY. The Strike Committee is making arrangements for the supply of foodstuffs, as it is necessary for a to come into this place constantly, as it cannot produce flour and other staples. There was a. slight breeze over the bunkering of the dredges, but it was decided to allow them to be bunkered under the supervision of the Strike Committee, which will also control the foodstuffs supply.

November 6. Everything quiet here this morning. The Arahura having broken down, and returning to Nelson and Wellington, the- Kaitoa brought on her passengers and mails. Luckily for them the Weather was fin©, and the passengers were given accommodation down the hatches. There was A LITTLE TROUBLE about the bunkers, but after discussing the matter, sire went on to Grey, on the understanding that if she brought foodstuffs she would get sufficient bunkers to take her to Nelson. However, as the conference was abortive and all negotiations broken off, it was decided to break off all engagements until arrangements had been made in Wellington. Yesterday morning the watersiders were reinforced by A CONTINGENT OF DENNISTON ■ • . . MEN, 'n.nd a ma£s meeting was held in the Watersiders' Hall, at which some of the addressed the meeting. In the •afternoon the Defender arrived, but on seeing her crew they refused to trim her bunkers, and in any case she wonld -have not been able to procure them.