WATERSIDE WORKERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13722, 11 April 1908, Page 5

WATERSIDE WORKERS.

A QUESTION OF ACCOMMODATION'. 'Hie question of accommodation on tbd: # wharves for the workers engaged in connection with the shipping of the port was - brought before the Harbour Board yester- -' day by a deputation -from the-Auckland Waterside Workers' Union, h«idetf by the ' secretary (Mr. R, F. Way). ' : : Mr. Way said that there were over 1200 - ; members of the union, and yet tho only*. accommodation that they had was one little .-r shed. It took about 800 men to work the port at present, and when there were three or four or more Home ' boats in port at one time this number was not? sufficient. There was ample accommodation at Wellington and other ports, even including Onehunga. The Chairman of the Board (Hon. "£.*'■, Mitchelson) pointed out that in the - new "_'. building which the Board proposed to erecU on the Queen-street-Wharf provAricii was ; ma<do for the workers to the extent of about, ,■? 800 square feet, Mr. Way said that that space would M > sufficient for only about 200 men. The Chairman stated that if they were going to provide for .1200 men it. would take nearly the whole of the building. He thought it would 'bo more convenient to : . have a room on each of the two large / wharves than to provide tho whole of the ' . accommodation on Quetii-street Wharf. . # ; Mr. Way also urged that baths should be provided for the men. ■ ' : &'t£k Mr. Britain (a member of the deputa- » tion), in referring to the present shed, said;:,, l that it was erected at the time of th< strike, and was not good enough for pre- ... sent requirements. At LytUdton a care-- ; ;"; taker was employed to look after the shod, at a ral.iry of £100 & year the Harbour Board contributing £?5 and the union £25. Baths should be provided, especially for / those engaged in handling coal and ma- . ; nure, who were often at present ordered off the tramcars on proceeding home at -; the close of their day's work. ,i It was resolved that the matter be gone ; « into by a special committee, consisting of t-"*S; Messrs. Hutchison, Heather, Napier, Kneen, Keyes, and (lie chairman,