IN THE CITY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10927, 17 November 1913, Page 5

IN THE CITY.

AWAITING EVENTS. WHEN DO THE SPECIALS COME? The chief poinfi of interest in the city this morning; was tho news regarding the preparations of an Ashburton contingent of special constables and free labourers. Many inquiries were made as to what would happen if the City Council and the Lyttelton Borough Council, relying on the assurance of the waterside workers that they do not intend to resort to force, 1 should ask that this special force should keep outside their boundaries. The (idea of men from Mid-Canterbury coming into the city did not appear to be generally acceptable, even some of the employers contending that enough looaf men would be available to do all that was necessary. Expressions of sympathy were frequently heard for the '. factory workers and others, who after the week of carnival had no work to go to. SIGNS OF PREPARATIONS. PROBABLE HEADQUARTERS. This morning a rumour went round the city that a body of men were drilling iat the Metropolitan . Show Grounds. Investigations proved , that no drill had been held, for all the hurdles and so on in the ring are still standing, and mounted drill with so many obstacles would be a someff'iao difficult matter. . • There were signs, however, that the Show Ground is to be the headquarters of any mounted force that may be brought in and probably the temporary home of any free labourers needed at Lyttelton. This morning a quantity of chaff wag taken out and put into one of the sheds, and at least one retired military officer of high rank visited the ground during the day. He could hardly have gono out for any purpose but to survey the site for a camp or some* thing of that sort. It is obvious that from a - strategt cal point of view the Show Ground! have much to commend them' as ths headquarters for any force. In the first place men could bo brought thera. by rail from North or South Canterbury, the Peninsula or the Ellesniere district without having to enter the city at all, and the horses could be disentrained without any trouble. Then a force could entrain at the .Show Ground siding and be run through to Lyttelton when required, returning to the ground when relieved by another troop or when not needed. .The men could use tho big sheds and buildings on the ground and the horses could be stabled iu the stalls used at show time. For these and other reasons the Show Grounds will probably be the headquarters of the new force, if not of the free labourers. When the matter was mentioned to a local unionist he expressed regret that tho Agricultural and Pastoral Association should lend itself to the Farmers' Union in this way "We supported their show," he said, "so why should they take a hand in trying to down usP" CANTERBURY TYPOGRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION. OBJECTS TO BOGUS UNIONS FORMED BY EMPLOYERS. At a meeting of the Canterbury Typographical on Saturday night the following resolutions were passed " That this Union is in entire sympathy with the United Federation of Labour in its efforts to resist the d employers' endeavour to deprive- tho waterside workers of. the ■ aro legally entitled «4tial&Wat.-Ji