THE SEAMEN AND THEIR LEADER.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14829, 21 November 1913, Page 10

THE SEAMEN AND THEIR LEADER.

MR W. BELCHER AT LYTTELTON. "ABSOLUTELY'IN THE DARK 7, WHAT IS THE TRUE STATE OF '■ - AFFAIRS? A little, group of seamen and firemen were the only people, who showed any interest in the arrival of the ferry steamer Maori at Lyttelton yesterday morning. Strikers were conspicuous by their absence, and the vessel berthed ' and landed her passengers, mails, and baggage without comment. Mr W. Belcher, general secretary of the Seamen's and Firemen's Union, who had been in Wellington for a fortnight, was a passenger by the 3laori, being on his way to Dunedin. His "arrival'in Lyt-

telton was.as quiet as his departure had been noisy and excited.

"Here lie comes!" "Here he comes!" was the exclamation which broke from a dozen mouths as Mr Belcher, almost tne last passenger to leave the Maori, stepped through the door of the vestibule, and after calmly surveying the scene, walked slowly down the gangway. As soon as he reached the wharf, he was surrounded by fifteen to twenty firemen and seamen, two or three of whom engaged him in earnest conversation, while the others listened attentively.

Exactly what the talk was about could not be gleaned, but one fireman seemed to have a grievance about his discharge, and was apparently asking i for advice. Mr Belcher, who listened quietly, gave the man-some advice, and said that he would make enquiries, but remarked several times, "I'm not a solicitor.' , THE MEN SEEK ADVICE. A number of the men then appealed to Mr Belcher to stay in Lfttelton for a few hours, and address them. They htated that they were absolutely in the dark concerning vhe true position of affairs, and did not know where they stood. "We want your advice. Mr Belcher. We don't know where we are just now, and we can't get any information from Wellington. l, Mr Belcher explained that he had to go by the train to Dunedin, where his presence was urgently required. The men said that he could not catch the first express, and he had three or four hours to snare before the second oxpress left Christchurch. They appealed to him to stay in Lyttelton to address the seamen and firemen, and advise them how matters stood, and what action they should take. Mr Belcher said that he was as much in the dark as they were, and he wanted to get to Dunedin, and find out tho true state of affairs. Several of the men said that there were about 200 seamen and firemen ashore in Lyttelton, most of them having been paid off from shins which had been laid up. They had*wired time and again to Wellington to both Mr Belcher and Mr Young, to whom they looked as their leaders, but they had had no replies, and could get absolutely no information. The men were "very discontented' and very sore about being left in the lurch like that. Mr Belcher expressed some surprise, and said that he had had no communication from them. Matters were at "sixes and sevens," and it was hard to know exactly how things stood. He could not tell them anything, so it was useless for him to stay in Lyttelton. At this some ten or twelve of the men angrily stated that evidently Mr Belcher did not want to do anything for them. "Corao away out of it and leave him alone. He's no good to us, boys. Let him go to Dunedin." they said, as they moved away up tho wharf. * Their mates took no notice, and remained round Mr Belcher, being joined from time to time'by fcthor seamen and firemen and a few strikers. "VERY HARD LP." One fireman then took up the position of spokesman, and said that it was up to Mr Belcher to do something for them. The seamen and firemen in Lyttelton were in a bad way, ho said. There were 150 to 200 of them on the beach, and they had no money and no prospects of getting aiiy. "Some" of us chaps are very hard up," he said. "We have got no money to get lodgings, and some of us don't know we're going to get food if things go on like this. We'vo been paying our dues to the Union for years, and we ought to get some relief from the Union. We're all financial members." '■":. . ■ \ 'Tm not king," said Mr Belcher. "I'm only an administrator. As soon as I get to Dunedin I'll find out the true position, and eeo what I can do for you men!" • "Yes, and while t-he grass is growing, the horse is starving," said the spokesman, bitterly. "It's no good to us. Somo of us will be starving soon, as we've got no money to get tucker. Some'of the men whose cash has run out have come down from Christchurch, as they can't get board and lodgings there. They're no better down here, and-it's getting worse every day "for the vrhole lot. We are all hard up, and if something's not done we'fi get 'put in' as *vags.' Why, some of ue have had to get tickets from the Strike Committee to get meals." "I'm very sorry for you men," said Mr Belcher, "but I'm not my own boss. I have to do as I. am told.' , LYTTELTON: IN WANT OF A LEADER. A seaman in the crowd said he thought Mr ■; Belcher would have been better in Wellington than in-Dunedin. Hβ would be in the centre of affairs if he had stayed in Wellington. There were only about 150 men in Dunedin, and thero were nearly 200 in Lyttelton. " "Surely it's not necessary, for you to gn. back to Dunedin. There's a man acting in your place there, and we've got nobody at all here. Can't you arrange for somebody to come up to Lytteiton to lead and advise us?" "I will see what can be done, and if I can arrange for someone to come to Lyttelton I will do so. I can't stay away any longer, as I have received a peremptory wire telling mc to be in Dunedin to-night." "IE I WERE KING." A number of curious onlookers had crowded round by. this time, and Mr Belcher was the centre of all eyes. The passengers in the train were all interested spectators of the scene. Several of the seamen and firemen chatted away to Mr Jielcher, telling him of their straits and appealing' for advice. He listened patiently and thoughtfully to the men. "If I were king," he suddenly exclaimed, stretching out his arm and' spcakiug forcefully, "I'd settle up the whole thing. But I'm not a king." "You're king of the seamen, Mr Belcher," said one _of the men with an air of qutet conviction. "You've been their head secretary for years, and you're their king." "No," replied Mr Belcher: 'I'm.not king. I'm only an administrator. But I will do my best for you. As soon as I get back to Dunedin I will get busy. I want to find out what the true position is, and what is best to be done." A litlo man, with a sudden burst of fury, as he drew away tfrom the crowd blurted out fiercely.! 'That's right; you've been like that for years. You're a d traitor to the cause." Mr Belcher looked at him quietly and with a thoughtful smile, and said: "That's all right, my boy." By this time the train was just moving off. and Mr Belcher, walking quietly away from the crowd, stepped on board" without any further comment, and the men left the wharf. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PICTURE. At tho railway gatos a representative of "The Press" was approached by six or seven seamen, all respectablelooking young fellows. "Look here,' , one of them said, "you don't want to take any notice of what those chaps said to Mr Belcher "about the seamen and firemen in Lyttelton being hard up. There's no starving and no distress amongst us men. Nearly all of us have got enough money to keep us going for the next month or six-weeks. We're not worrying at all, and -we've got no need to. Thoso chaps were only speaking for themselves, and not for the main body of •us. The seamen and firemen in Lyttelton are all right, aud don't want any assistance. If there are a few hard-up we can make a collection amongst ourselves and keep them going. It's only

a few of them who have been ashore here for weeks that have got no money. They're always the same. They go to sea for a few weeks and then come ashore for a month or two. They're not real firemen, and we can't understand how they do live. Anyhow, we've relieved their wants. Their beer money has gone and that's why they're squeaking."

(rBSSS ASSOCIATION' TEX.KCXAK.) DUNEDIN, November 20. Mr Bekher returned to-night and received a very hearty welcome from about 1000 people, including a laTge number of seamen. He was cheered time aud again as he was leaving the station. Messrs Smith and Clark left this morning for Wellington, where they will represent tho Diinedin branch of the Australasian Federated Seamen's Union at a further conference of delegates, Auckland and Wellington beiag also represented by two delegates.