HOPE THAT STRIKE WILL NOT EXTEND TO DUNEDIN.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XL, Issue 13220, 31 October 1913, Page 4

HOPE THAT STRIKE WILL NOT EXTEND TO DUNEDIN.

men already thrown idle. (Special to Herald.) DUNEXHN, last ni«ht. Well-informed residents of Dunedin have been assuring one another that whatever may happen elsewhere, no strike is likely to originate m Dunedin. The men do not want an explosion. If called out they may formally obey, but they are not inviting the call. Such is the belief about the waterfront. The main topics are as to our supplies of staple stocks, specifically coal and sugar. It seems to be agreed that these are the lines m jeopardy. Other goods may run short without pinching the people at. large. For instance, Otago looks to Wellington for much of its tinned meat, and as tsje merchants do not hold large stocks ai)4 the supply is virtually stopped these' lines may run gut-, put we can manage very well without tinned meats. There are enough lambs m Otago. Central this season to compensate for the shortage. A recent visitor to the henrt of Otago tells us that the ewes have been uncommonly prolific this spring. Triplets are cdmmort," and he saw one wjth four lambs at fpot. The sugar question is more serious. Practically all bur supply js from Auckland, and wo need constant shipments. Already the strike is making itself felt m tlint market. The Victoria, due here on Sunday, refused to load any 'sugar for the South. The Westralia is not coming at all, and the Maitai, m yesterday morning, brought only a small consignment. That will go into immediate .consumption. During the last month or twp smalj supplies of Java sugar have come by way pf Sydney. These, howeve^, are as but d dp6p m a bucket. l£ is understood that tne stocks m Otago will not last mpi^ than a f6rtnight at thp ordinary rate. Two reasons are I given for flifa shortage. Jn \&e fir^t place the merchants have Ijeen espeqtjng a drop m price, and further the profit on sugar is so small that there is usually no inducement to load up heavily. Inquiries as to our holdings m coal lead to more unsatisfactory replies. We are {old that the railway and the gas works are well supplied, and can keep going for a considerable time without any more conl being brought m, whilst the stocks m the yards are ample for normhj deliverre/i, for at any rate a couple ot months. If there is anything like a panic demand from people who .want- to v . lay by extra supplies 'ftoey may be answered that they must be content with something leaa, for the merchants are not prepared tQ ti° U P their coal for |the benefty of a few, and harassing . of tl?ejr cjißtpmers at large,

but this is merely a precautionary policy. AJI ordinary orders can be met and the coalmen are quietly cheerful about the prospects One effect the shipping ituke will have on Dunedin developed somewhat i suddenly yesterday iiome oi the en- ■ gineering 'firms who do a big export • business have found it impossible to ship their consignments, and as a "result the wheels of industry have to cease. Messrs .Shaddock and Co. and Messrs G. Methven and Co. intend putting off :t big majority of their men to-night, the former sometAiing like 100 and the latter about. 30. Possibly the men affected will not regard strikes m a pleasant light, , even though they may be unionists. As far as is known these are the only two firms who have taken this step as yet, but should the hold-up prove a prolonged one it cannot fail to affect other firms, and be the means of throwing a big number of men out of work locally.