LYTTELTON WHARF LABOURERS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 47, 1 April 1914, Page 10

LYTTELTON WHARF LABOURERS.

A MATTER OF RECREATION. A deputation from the Lyttelton Wharf Labourers' Union waited upon the Lyttelton Harbour Board to-day and asked that permission be given for the replacing in the Coronation Hall of a billiards table and a library belonging to the old union.

Mr Voyce, who acted as spokesman for the deputation, said the deputation understood that the secretary of the board had given instructions that the billiards table and library were not to be replaced in the hall —which is the men's waiting room at the port —until the board gave its sanction. The things were now stored, but the union wished to replace them. In reply to questions, Mr Voyce stated that the billiards table and library belonged to the Lyttelton Stevedores' Union, not to the present union. The matter of replacing them in the hall had been under the consideration of the committee of the old union and the executive of the new union. The latter had agreed that any revenue from the billiards table and the library should go to the funds of the old organisation until the present union was in a position to purchase them. The approximate valuewas £350. About 250 members of the old union and about 150 or 160 members of the new union were now working at "the port, but there was no friction. Asked whether he could explain why the new members preferred to eat their meals or to wait for work in the open air, instead of using the hall, Mr Voyce admitted that he was aware of this being done, but not of the reason. The union had not received any complaints of the new men being, insulted by the older workers when they entered the hall. The executive, he felt sure, would see that all access was given to' the new members. The board discussed the matter in committee, and referred it to the next meeting of the Harbour Improvement Committee, the engineer to obtain certain information, in the meantime.