TROUBLE AT THE WHARF

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 404, 13 January 1909, Page 8

TROUBLE AT THE WHARF

,V-; 7 FIREMEIir DELAY THE!ARAWii;;A';; : -. ; .The departure of ithe'Shaw-Sayill steamer ■ Arawa was \delayed/for:s6me time'.ye'sferday •■ owina-.to'herbymg.unable to ;obta'in the full complementof !nremen.'. 7'" '".'!■' ■!•'■ ■■■■' \-:.: ] When ? /th'e.time'-. arrived for'the ves'ssl ; tp . arid she still -remained,at , anchor :in / ,the;.harbour) the -rumouf began'.. to gain 'cur/ Tfincy-.that^the'firemen'on boardiha'd'struck for.£4o al'.mpnth/.to'take the: vessel home'to .England, Jarid .that pickets .had.-been posted ,tb- prevent -.the-, agents '< froni.: , securing' any i "blac^e£sl-WW^fen.thei : 'came.ashbrej ,: the' plpt" : thickened. '■'£''"'.'■'''■'.•■ ' *■ > The positioi .in the porning'the .the .Qlasgbw . .■VYh'arf,. and' : ;she ; "was then.short of "two fire- -■ ineh.' The firemen on board had made no d&mur as'tbiwages; A number of offers to'.fill; the.'vacancies , were:received,- but all vthe'; men' wan'ted £40 a'month, ; and the company would give only,the New. Zealand fate.of pay,:viz., ■ £9 a month. 8y■12.30,: howeverj; theTmen ■were secured,; and. the vessel steamed out, of : ,the:,liarb6ur,'leaving-those firemen who wera so .anxious to take a job at £40 a,month greatly, mystified. ■ .-■.■ '■, -,-■,.:,„ -.;:■: '; Eyen*had.;theV New-Zealand'rate,'of'pay:-v which sis nearly double, the lEnglishj.failed to 'attract the... rnen, ','the company could ;have ' settled the matter by, transferring; two men; ': from the Matatua, which was expected in ' fronj Napier at' any minute. ;.:■■■ •..; '■ i- ■ '•; The shipping;,companies. state : that .these ' : cases of, attempted ■'.'sticking-up" of : a'Home- '- going: vessel are not ; by any means uncommon of late. Because of the higher wages, obtain- " ing here desertions froih Home-going'vessels ■ bftentako'place. The Shipping and Seamen 'Act defines , desertion as., absence from.the : ship for 48 hours without lawful excuse-or ■ any.unlawful:departure without;the'ihten- ■: tion of and the- men have gbf-the l , idea that:they'are;-,therefore;--immufte'-for-arrest until the 48 hours have elapsed: :The shipping companies hold ;that this is not so; I andthat a'man lays: himself open to : arres't7 before :the "48 hours have passed. ■ '- -'■ ■' ■ ' -. ■ ' A number, of firemen, who hung about the : wharves and the'office's of the Arawa'e agents yesterday, were greatly .'perplexed - when they saw- the vessel, leave,.'.and .were • not-a little disappointed, that they had been;, beaten in .their, scheme'f,or securing ambdest job at a handsome ; wagef v '■■'■'■ ■ -'' ■