ROWDY SCENES ON WHARF.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15303, 26 August 1920, Page 5

ROWDY SCENES ON WHARF.

WELLINGTON, last night:

The waterfront trouble was only par* tially settled .to-day, and.no coal at all was unloaded for the electric .lighting station, -power-house or gasworks. ° ° A meeting, of the .Watersiders' Union held during the, "morning, carried a resolution to presume .work on the Japanese steamer Meikai Maru, but. when the call for labor wis made at 1 p.m. the response was so poor that the employers decided not to ask the men to unload coal boats lying at the. wharves. There was an attendance of about 1000 men at the meeting of the Watereiders' Union. The discussion centred round a recommendation from the Union executive to the effect that the work on the .Japanese ship be resumed on the understanding that the Disputes Committee 'be called together afterwards to decide whether the nature of the phosphate cargo, would warrant any increase m the agreement' rate of •pay. The proceedings, .ifc is stated, were very lively, the .executive beings subjected to a good deal of hostile criticism by a* noisy section. Eventually by a majority of 286 it was decided to adopt^he executive's recommendation. At tho .conclusion- of • the Union" lneefcitig the- president {Mr Glover) ipfprmed Mr Bennett (manager of the. Watersiders' Association)* that the men. had decided to man the Meikai Maru, on the' understanding that the Disputes .Committee „. visited the '-ship, afterwards, and examined the cargo whilst it was being discharged,! for the purpose of 6aying whether an increase m the rate of pay was justified. • Mr Bennett agreed to this arrangement on behalf of the- employers, and at I p.m. a call for labor was made by one of Gannoway and Co.'s foremenv .There was a great crowd present and much excitement prevailed. As soon, as the foreman appeared .on the stand "he-was accorded a hostile reception, being -hooted and "oounied ont.". * ." ' The foreman was then* withdrawn, and Mr Archer, another ;0f- Gannoway and Co.'s' officials, took his place; .""Mr 'Archer succeeded m engaging barely, two gangs, and on account' of ■. the. noisy demonstration made by a hostile section of the Union members he also htfd to leave the stand. ;/.. Only ab.Qui/ twonty. men wore taken on,; where fully three times this number were required to work 'the vessel. The men engaged included several members of the executive of the Union. The action of those men' who signed on. fbr duty was - viewed with considerable disfavor by 7a of the crowd, and one worker Was YsHDjcctDtt to rough .usajjo by a. couplfe of his fpllow-uhionists. ..Despite thi#, however, the men engaged, aA onco proceeded, to tho Meikai Ijifaru at the railway wharf, • and the work,of discharging phosphates .was resumed, being continued through tlie •afternoon and also at night. As soon as it was. soon that no more labor would be available for working the *-Meikau Martt»the employers reaffirmed.their former,attitude,- that the ship must be fully manned beforo any other men were put on to man other sliips, including vessels wnich have coal cargeos on board. The -only exceptions .were interisland steamers. '•• :.•--."'•. \ A meeting «of employers was held m. the afternoon, and the whole ma.ttor was discussed at considerable length, but it was decided not to waive from tine previous, decision. . . 7 To-morrow morning,. at 8 o'clock, it is proposed to ; call for the full number of gangs to work tho, Meikai Maru, and it is 'hoped ..that'the men will be prepared to carry out the. decision of the meeting of the Union.: . -7 f .7 .'■'„ ■ According^ to. Mr Glover ; (president of the; Watersiders' Union) some of- the men who were present when, labor /was -called for to man the Meikai Maru. did noi offer themselves for engagement because they had not come down prepared :for. a "job. "They were nob wearing old .enough clothes m which te go, working among phosphate, and were not- going to, dirty the clothes they had on," said Mr Glfcver. "However^ they will accept employment'at 8 o'clock m the morning." 1 Mr Glover" added that many of the. men- fully ex--pected to be asked to work the coal loots,, and they were WilliUg to be engaged. Tho disputes'committee meets again -tcmorrow morning. , i_ Besides the Tconl-laden vessels the Komatn, Kiwi and the Bona-, which have been m port for several days„ the. barque Raupo arrived to-day with about, 108^ tons of.-coal, from Newcastle. Owing to the fact that no berth was available today the Raupo anchored m the stream. The Kararnu,, with about 1490 tons of coal, arrived m the. evening.—Press Assn,