BUSINESS FIRMS RELIEVED

Southland Times, Issue 23378, 9 December 1937, Page 6

BUSINESS FIRMS RELIEVED

Wool Transferred To Vessels 10,000 BALES HELD IN CITY STORES (Special to The Times) AUCKLAND, December 8. In sharp contrast to the conditions which have prevailed on the Auckland waterfront since last Thursday, when the refusal of over 100 men to man the Union Company’s motor-ship Waiana after they had accepted engagement plunged the port into idleness, the wharves were a hive of industry this afternoon. Although there was no appreciable difference in the rate of working cargo, operations proceeded smoothly and in general the waterside workers were obviously keen to assist the companies to make up time lost through the dispute. Within an hour of work resuming at midday the wharves were again piled with an assortment of cargo and Quay street carried more heavy traffic than it had done since last Thursday. In addition to the relief felt by the shipping companies at the termination of the difficulties, allowing them to rearrange their schedules with some degree of certainty, considerable satisfaction with the result of the negotiations was expressed by business interests whose export and import work had been seriously delayed. This applied particularly to the Auckland Woolbrokers’ Association, which had been forced to advise growers to ’ old clips in the country pending a settlement of the labour trouble on the wharves. At least 10,000 bales were being held today in city stores awaiting shipment and all afternoon trucks were to be seen passing from them to such ships as the Port Hunter, the Port Hobart, the Port Chalmers and the Waipawa piled high with bales for export. It was stated, however, that even although this work proceeded steadily it would still take several days to relieve the congestion in the stores. Miscellaneous merchandise was also being continually taken to and from the wharves. UNEMPLOYMENT PREVENTED One important feature of the settlement was the prevention of unemployment among men who were in no way responsible for the dispute. To at least 100 it meant continuation of employment, as about 60 men had been temporarily discharged from one company’s wool stores and about 50 drivers had received provisional notice of dismissal from cartage firms. Considerable interest was shown in the settlement of the dispute by members of the general public and throughout the afternoon clusters of spectators watched cargo operations on the wharves. One of the first ships to be given attention was the Wanganella, from which a big consignment of Australian oranges and pineapples which was needed to relieve a possible shortage in the city was brought ashore quickly and dispatched to the city markets. Other cargo handled included wool, meat, butter, cheese, potatoes and fish, which had been waiting in stores for shipment to overseas or the provincial markets.