WORK AT PORT AGAIN CEASES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17834, 30 April 1926, Page 9

WORK AT PORT AGAIN CEASES.

RAIN RESPONSIBLE FOR STOPPAGE TO-DAY.

FURTHER STEAMERS WILL ARRIVE TO-MORROW.

Work on the waterfront was again brought to a sudden standstill this morning by wet weather. The port is congested, even at the cattle wharf; tho coastal steamer Wootton had to await a berth.

The Holmdale was to have completed her loading last evening for Wellington and Wanganui, but rain hindered her loading, and she was further delayed this morning. Fortunately the Korean Prince did not arrive at Lyttelton this morning as expected. It. is very doubtful if she could have made a start as very little labour would have been available.

Vessels in port at noon included: — Storm with bunker coal to discharge. Maori with general. Kurow to load for Wellington and Auckland. Coolana, with coal from Newcastle. Tckoa, with a large consignment of Liverpool cargo to discharge.

Opua, discharging sheep, and later to load for Nelson and the West Coast. Holmdale, completing her loading for Wellington and Wanganui. Anglo-Columbian, with bulk sulphur. Canadian Miller, with motor-cars and general Canadian and American cargo to unload. Matakana, with Liverpool and Glasgow cargo to put out. Waipori, discharging sheep, and later to load for Grevmouth.

The Kamo, on arriving to-day, will unload sheep from Wellington, and then take up a loading berth in order to load case oil and general cargo for Wellington. The Wootton, too, will load for Wellington. The wet conditions prevailing have delayed the departure of some of the

LATE CABLES AND OTHER NEWS WILL BE FOUND ON PAGE 5.

vessels in port. Some it was hoped would sail during the week-end.

Two additional oversea steamers are expected to-morrow, so that the port promises to be busy during the coming week.

Only two vessels that were taking in cargo and making their own empties could be worked overtime last evening, owing to the shortage of railway trucks, brought about by most of the vessels in port having cargo to di.scharge only. Every effort was made by the Railway Department yesterday to collect all empty trucks around Christchurch and district for despatch to Lyttelton, with the result that sufficient trucks would have been available for all the ships in port to have made a good start this morning. The only vessel able to work this morning was the Matakana, which loaded frozen meat under canvas.

All the watersiders engaged yesterday were ordered back to continue work this morning, but, as a start could not be made by 10 a.m., on account of the rain, the men were ordered to stand by till 1 p.m., in the hope that the weather would improve. The Union Company obtained two additional gangs this morning for the Kurow, who were discharged from the Holmdale. and non-unionists.