SMALL SHIPS' CARGO

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19555, 10 February 1938, Page 9

SMALL SHIPS' CARGO

PREFERENCE IN WOftk IURTHER DEVELOPMENTS X KOAU LEAVES WOOL A. further development in connecwith' the Avorkini of small ships' cifgoes on the Neift Zealand coast occurred: in Gisbornl to-day, whe,n tfti Richardson Company's. Koaii;, 70. tdjis, entered and left the port of Gisbwne without working cargo. Xa'stweek the Awahou was delayed jfe discharging her cargo at the Gisborne wharves owing to the_ seamen h#Ving been instructed to claim piefllence in employment in working the cirgo. . A compromise was reached after communication with the headf '"farters of the Seamen's Union, and a j|ggi|j t . d{ iHglrttttlßiis that the Sp's crew were to work, in the holds a|; well as man the winches and hittches. The , Waterside Workers' Union supplied iabduf for working tn| cargo oh the* wharf only.

To-day's development concerned a' gftialler vessel than the Awahou, which was to fiave.loaded 370 bales of Gisborne Wool for transhipment at Tola|a Bay to the overseas liner Ben i*di, due at Tolaga. Bay to-morrow to load wool there. The wool was intended for the May sales in London. the crew of the Awahou diked to be given preference in the work on .their vessel, the four seamen employed on the Kbali made riO claim ttt-be: allowed to work cargo at Gisborne. >3;hey, apparently had had no iSlS&bctiqns ;■:.JrotjtL. their union head 4\jarters to make any claim.

J WliM§Wn COi.fcreiice The waterside workers, on their jlirt, intimated that according to the llegal interpretation of the awards in existence covering such work, the slamen had absolute preference; and t«at consequently waterside workers cSjild not go aboard the vessel. The result was a deadlock, as in tfife casb of the Awahou last week, aiid the Kpaii put out ffbm port again without having werked the wool awaiting shipment m Tolaga Bay. It is stated by the waterside workers that there is no rivalry between their union and the seamen's organfition, and that they have simply eyed the strict letter of the award hditions, according tcf a special interpretation obtained By tHei r headquarters. . Dn the waterfront to-day, it was believed that a conference had been called, to lafee place in Wellington, mth a view to finding a way through the present difficulties of working the small coastal vessels.

In conseqtfence of the difficulty encentered with the coastal vessel Kbau, It wal arranged this afternoon tfiat the Ben Ledi should call at Gisrarne on her journey southward, and M in the roadstead for long enough ta pick up the wbdl which the Koau should have takeh to Tolaga Bay for there. a .