WATERFRONT DISPUTE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15365, 9 November 1920, Page 6

WATERFRONT DISPUTE

TO-DAY'S HOLD UP. Enquiries this afternoon, show that , probably about 160 men are affected by j to-day's hold-up on the waterfront. The whole of these men, of course, were not j required to-day, on account of the sma-1 amount of shipping. In the event of the dispute continuing the stoppage will affect an increasing number of men' almost immediately, as the hold-up affects other businesses." Comparatively little sugar was landed yesterday, and consequently the sugar shortage will become very acute unless the dispute is settled at once. Already a number of firms are practically right out of sugar supplies, and were depending upon the consignment at the wharf. Tlie coal situation is also closely affected. The collier . Kararnu is due to arrive about the end of the week with 900 tons of coal from Greymouth. Local coal supplies are short, as may be judged from the Gas Company's position. • Whether th e Karamu will come to Gisborne depends on the present dispute being sett'ed and the lightering of the vessel being assured. Otherwise the collier will be diverted elsewhere, and GisI borne "will certainly g° short of the coal. 1 Tlie Mararoa arrives from Auckland , to-morrow, but in view of the present ! deadlock no attempt will be made to handle* the cargo unless tho dispute is 1 sett'ed in the meant : mc. J Mr. Hally, Conc'liation Commissioner, I who is at present in- Gisborne, confer- [ red with the waterside workers this J afternoon. The men employed on, the lighters, at I the wharf yesterday finished up their j work last evening, hilt work on the I waterfront to-day was at a complete standstill; except for the usual delivery of cargo from the sheds. The discharging of the Elsie Mary was proceeding v*ith the ship's own crew at the Kaiti wharf. The steamer Ripple arrived from Wellington and Napier this afternoon, and berthed at the wharf shortly after 2 o'clock. No attempt was being made to work the vessel's cargo. POSSIBILITY OF SETTLEMENT. That the present difficulty was one _which with mutual goodwill could be sett'ed within 24 hours was the opinion expressed by Mr. P. Hally, Conciliation Commissioner, at present in Gisborne. Mr. Hally is interesting himself in the matter, and stated to a Herald reporter this afternoon that he hoped to arrange a meet'ng between the parties tomorrow. If his anticipation was a correct one, the hold-up might be settled by to-morrow evening.