WATERFRONT DEADLOCK

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10838, 2 March 1921, Page 5

WATERFRONT DEADLOCK

/.WAITIisU THE REPLY COMMUNITY BEGINNING TO FEEL THE PINCH. A CITIZEN’S SUGGESTION. The period of stagnation which has : developed in respect to the waterfront , situation is still dragging along, and iF js expected tjiere will be no change for some days. Yesterday was the j quietest day experienced on the wharves since the dispute broke out, and no work was done by the water* siders apart from attention to the ferry steamers. Everything now hinges upon the attitude be taken, up by the Waterside Workers’ Federation. ' The employers, in the first place, declared they would call for no fnsh labour until the working of overtime was resumed anti guaranteed continuously, and are now seeking an assurance from the lederation that, work generally will be carried on uninterruptedly in the future. these , matters are l>eing considered by the members ol- the federation at meetings at the various port**. The majority of the onions called meetings for yesterday, and others will bo hold to-day. The local meeting, held yesterday morning, was attended by 1300 members. At its conclusion the secretary announced that ’’A report upon the present lock-out was received from the federation’s executive, and was unanimously adopted.” It is understood that the employers’ ultimatum is the principal subject of discussion at all meetings. The lederation promised an early reply, but there is little probability of tlie result being made known before sext week. Correspondence is passing between the parties in the meantime, but the result of it is not disclosed. THE COAL HELD UP POSITION GROWING SERIOUS. Day by day the position in regard to coal stocks becomes more scute, and if the trouble continues for much longer the public may be subjected to the same inconvenience as last year, during the previous waterside dispute. Manufacturers are beginning to feel the pinch, and unless supplies are able to be got very soon mtuiy establishments will be obliged to close down. The city council is fairly well prepared to ■meet emergeqcies and has sufficient to maintain the power and tramway services and other public undertakings for some weeks. The Gas Company is le*e fortunate. The pressure has already been reduced, in order to allow the supply to be maintained as long as possible, but if the hold-up continues much longer the gas will have to be cut off altogether. The community has had. previous hard experience of the effect of a serious coil shortage, and everyone in impressed- with the hardship that such a curtailment would involve. TO RELIEVE THE SITUATION SUGGESTED CALL TO VOLUNTARY WORKERS. j A suggestion for the relief of the coal situation was made to a ‘‘New Zealand Times’ ’ reporter yesterday by Mr \V. H. Edwards, a well-known citizen. who has the beet interests at heart of. those who would chiefly suitor from a gas shortage. Mr Edwards suggests that 150 volunteers from employers of labour in the city should offer their services for the unloading of the large consignment pf Gas Company coal held up in the harhpur. There are 15,000 tons of coal afloat at anchor in Wellington, he points out, a large quantity of which is intended for the company’s uso. If 150 volunteer.! came forward to undertake the job. he said, these men could be divided into two four-hour shifts to work morning and afternoon respectively, enabling the coal to he unloaded in a couple of days. An appeal, he suggested, might be extended by the employers to their employees who, he felt sure, would not wish any recompense for their labours, since their object would be relief of the women and children and invalids. Tho money which might otherwise have been expended on the payment of waterside labour could then bo handed by the Gas Company to the beneficent purpose of the Children’s Hospital. If necessary, he was willing to offer his services for the organisation of such a scheme. “We all profess to be men, Mr Edwards concluded. “There is an opportunity for the real men amongst us to show themselves and help the women, and the children, and the pattiente in the hospitals, and charitable institutions, who _ would bear the greatest hardship if the gas had to be cut off. I am not out as the representative of any money-making concern or to interfere with the waterside workers. The Gas Company would not get any benefit, but the money would be devoted wholly to the worthy object I have indicated." There was* no addition to the big •fleet of idle vessels in port at Wellington yesterday. The Manuka, which arrived in the stream at Wellington on Monday evening from Sydney, berthed at tho Queen’s Wharf yesterday morning, brought 1117 tons of general cargo (including UjO cases of fruit) for Wellington and 572 tons for Lyttelton. The Union Company were unable yesterday to obtain any of their usual labour to unload even the fruit, but it will probably bo put ashore to-day. The Manuka is now fixed to leave Wellington at 10 o’clock to-morrow morning for Sydney, taking passengers only. Her Australian cargo -will be taken back to Sidney. It is of interest to note that The trouble on the Wellington waterfront in connection with the 1013 strike commenced on Octdoer 22nd and ended on December 20th —lasting 59 days. It was on the 18th of last month —12 days X— that the employers of waterside ur decided to engage no more labour until the officials of the waterside union would guarantee that the members of that body would work overtime when required.

NO CHANGE AT AUCKLAND

MEN TO MEET TO-DAY. ran rirxss assoctatto: AUCKLAND, March 1. There were no fre-.h developments on the Auckland * ’erf root to-day, but a general meeting of watersiders will be he'd to orrmv for the purpose of con*id ring various aspects of the dispute. The uumbwr of watersiders employed on the wharves ban gradually been decreasing, until now only about 200 are working daili', out oi a total of 1400. Some 200 of the men have accepted empAtymenA ej&ewhere.