THE WATERSIDERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15504, 10 January 1914, Page 8

THE WATERSIDERS.

SURPLUS OF WORKERS.

SITUATION IN WELLINGTON.

POSITION SOMEWHAT ACUTE.

[BT TELEGRAPH,—OWN correspondent.]

Wellington, Friday. The labour problem and the waterfront can be safely described as somewhat acute. An inside estimate of the membership roll of the Wharf Labourers' Union is about 3400, and it may be taken for granted, after allowing for the men who have left, that there is a surplus of about 1000 men when work on the wharves is normal.

In some departments of the work there is not enough employment for even all the men why joined during the strike, while, as has been pointed out before, the great majority of the ex-strikers, in face of the compart made- by the employers to give preference to the loyalists, cannot hope to get anything but the most casual employ. ment. In regard to the cases reported of assaults by ex-strikers, and the use of insulting language—the latter especiallyvarious remedies have been suggested, one of them being the engagement of large permanent staffs by the shipping companies and the Harbour Board, and another the drastic step of closing the-wharves in the meantime, until a way out is decided upon. To-day, when* labour was being put on, there was nothing in the shape of a disturbance, but only a simmering of discontent among gome of the men who were not selected. "Preference badges" were for the first time sold to several of the members of the union who joined on or before December 8, 1913, and it is regarded as inevitable that when these are worn generally, further friction will be caused Between the new and the old hands.

The executive has decided not to hold any further meetings of the union for the present, and in the interim it will purge the roll of members who have left the union. It will also prepare its Books, which the stress of work has hitherto prevented, and will then be in a position to know exactly who are financial and who are not financial members of the union. This being done, all members who produce their books will be admitted to any meeting that it may be decided to call. Meanwhile, the "donkey-room," which is looked upon with disfavour by the labour foremen, will remain closed, and the men will be engaged outside the various sheds. LYTTELTOH'S HEW UNION. EX-STRIKER MADE PRESIDENT. (by TELBGBAPH.— ASSOCIATION.) Chribtcht7RCH, 'Friday. The members of the Lyttelton Stevedores' Union signalised their entry into the new arbitration union by electing one of their number as president at a special meeting held last night to receive the resignation of the former president, Mr. J. B. Clough. There was an attendance of about 180 members, mostly exstrikers, and the two nominees for the presidential chair were both members and presidents of the Stevedores' Union. Mr. W. Agar was elected at the ballot. Mr. H. R. Voice, secretary of the Stevedares' Union, and now a member of the new organisation, moved a resolution protesting against the filing of the agreement entered into with the employers by the union before the close of the strike. He said that the provision requiring that the agreement should lie for thirty days in the office of the clerk of awards before registration had not been complied with. The resolution was carried practically unanimously. '