DEFIANT DOCKERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18455, 19 July 1923, Page 9

DEFIANT DOCKERS.

INTIMIDATION TACTICS.

ATTACK ON MEAT LORRY. POLICE DISPERSE LOOTERS. CARGOES PERISHING. By Telegraph— Association— (Received 4.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. and Renter. LONDON. July 17. While a few, of the older dockers are inclined to return to work, tba majority remain idle. The Thames presents a remarkable sight. Hundreds of idle ships are at anchor, and several have been ordered to go to sea and jettison rotting cargoes. . ~ ■ Carters last night were offered £5 for every load of fruit cleared. Three drivers who ventured were severely handled and their carts overturned in the road. A lorry laden with beef was stopped in Commercial Road, in the Easl) End and people began' to help themselves. The police drew their truncheons and cleared the street, the crowd stampeding. One policeman was injured by a stone thrown during the melee. The landing of fruit from vessels is being seriously interfered with by 'the intimidation tactics of the strikers. A meeting of fruit importers, convened by the National Federation, resolved to press on the Government the need for immediate and adequate protection Egainst intimidation and violence to pre/er.t the perishing of enormous quanities of fruit and vegetables. The crew of the Hurunui, when proceeding to the Victoria and Albert dock to unload the vessel, met a large crowd of excited strikers, who refused to allow Che sailors past the dock gates. An encounter was imminent when a body of police arrived, and trouble was averted by officials of the Port of London Authority intimating that it was useless to atl.mpt to unload the Federal steamer Hurunui because their warehouses were mostly full and were not available for the storage of goods.

London and Manchester employers threaten to introduce outside labour unless the dockers speedily return to work.