PORT REOPENED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10927, 17 November 1913, Page 6

PORT REOPENED.

THE NORTHERN STARTS DISCHARGING CARGO. ONE POLICEMAN TOURS THE WHARF. Lyttelton became an open port again ftt 1.25 p.m. to-day, when the first sling of cargo was brought up from the forward hold of the Northern. and safely deposited in a truck alongside. It was generally known at port this morning that the Northern, working with her own crew, except the Chinamen in the stokehold, would start unloading at 1 p.m., but there was no :rush" f of strikerß to No. 4 wharf in coniequence. At 1 p.m. one representative of the Strike Committee visited the wharf. He encountered a few railway' meu making their way steadily towards the wharf at which the Northern was, and asked if they were going to work her cargo. " Yes, we are," said one of the men; "have you any comment?" "No, was tha waniv; "you chaps are

members of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, and you must obey orders. We have no quarrel with you at all." "We don't want this job," said one of the railway men ; " wo would bo jolly glad if you fellows provented us from working. If you don't do that for us, the next best thing is to pray for rain." Another little band of railway men contained one gentleman of belligerent disposition. " Yes, I'm going to work," he said, in reply to a question, "and I'll knock the block off anyone who tries to stop me." " Got your persuader with you?" inquired a bystander. " No, 1 don't need any persuader. I'll do all the persuading," was the | reply. The railway men filed on to the wharf and at about 1.10 p.m. were followed by a small group of watersiders and | townspeople. One of the watersiders i addressed tho members of the crew on ! the Northern's deck in a loud voice. " K you fellows handla that cargo," ho shouted, '"'you'ro doing something detrimental to your own interests. They can't gaol you for refusing to work cargo." The deck hands paid no reply. Later on, tho same speaker addressed them again to tho same effect. ■ One of the seamen then wont to the rail and said: ""We're not scabs, and we're not working with scabs. We can't break our articles." It should be explained that tho articles require them to work cargo if called upon to do so. At this stage a solitary policeman appeared on 'the wharf and quietly requested everybody to retire to the shore end of tho wharf. He was obeyed immediately, and the discharging of cargo was begun at once. A "small knot of sightseers and others remained for a time at the end of the wharf watching the unloading; but they soon became tired of that," and walked away. The opening of the port had been accomplished without anybody even speaking crossly. ANOTHER QUIET MORNING, NORTHERN BERTHED AT WHARF Matters were remarkably quiet along the waterfront ■this morning. The strikers were busy shifting their goods and chattels from the Coronation Hall to a small temporary office at No. 12, j Norwich Quay, and had no time to I waste on the wharves. A drizzling rain made the waterfront a dismal and desolate place, and very few people were abroad there. The Northern was berthed at No. 4 wharf at about nine o'clock, and the Karamu came in early this morning to coal the Pateena. CHATHAM ISLAND STORES. PASSED BY STRIKE COMMITTEE. The Pateena will take north this evening about twenty tons of stores and provisions intended for the Chatham Islands. Tho stores will be transhipped to the Himitangi at Wellington. The Strike Committee has undertaken to offer no opposition to the shipment of these stores, realsing that it is necessary for the welfare of the islanders that they should be forwarded without delay. Speaking to a reporter, the ton agent of the Northern said that as , the local unions had decided to stand by the Federation Executive in Wellington that at the same tinio had given an assurance that nothing more than passive resistance would be offered the unloading of cargo in Lyttelton, it had been decided to work the Northern with Iter own crew, thus obviating the importation of free laboxir and reducing, the chances of friction.