EXPORT APPLES LEFT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19883, 9 March 1939, Page 5

EXPORT APPLES LEFT

THREE THOUSAND CASES DISPUTE ON WATERFRONT DISMISSAL FOR ABUSE (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Three thousand cases of apples which Should have been shipped yesterday by the liner Rangitiki for London were carried back td Nelson last evening by the Anchor Company’s Nelson ferry steamer Arahura, because of a dispute with waterside workers on Tuesday morning. One of the waterside workers engaged in unloading the same company’s ship Matangi was discharged for abusing the foreman. Thereupon the remainder of the waterside workers stopped work and the vessel was idle for the rest of the day. The Matangi also had export apples. These had been discharged before the trouble arose, but the remainder of the vessel’s cargo from Nelson was carried back to that port and none of the Wellington cargo for Nelson was shipped.

Yesterday morning when waterfront labour for the day was being engaged, no waterside workers would accept .work for the Arahura, which, in consequence, was idle all day. Included in her cargo were 8000 cases of export apples for shipment to London 'by the Rangitiki, which left Wellington this morning. The fruit cannot now be discharged at Wellington before Friday and it will have to be shipped by another overseas liner and arrive later on the London market.

At such short notice it was impossible to fill the vacant space in the Rangitiki. The later arrival in London will possibly mean a lower price for the fruit, causing loss to the growers.