THE WAHINE'S FIREMEN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1812, 26 July 1913, Page 7

THE WAHINE'S FIREMEN.

A REPORT DENIED. The secretary of the Federated Seamen's Union of Australasia (Air. W. T. Young) writes under date July 21:— "Your issue of to-day states that yesterday seven firemen left the t.s.s. AVahiiio because hot-water pipes had not been connected with their baths. As a matter of fncr; your information is not correct, the man in. question left tho ship under ordinary circumstances, and not as the result of' a demand for hot-water supply, although the lattei -, was a source of complaint, and was represented to me by the men on Monday last. The weakness of your report and sarcastic headline is found in tho fact that the Wahine carries n total of 3t men in her stokehold and enginc-roora, 30 of whom being 'firemen and trimmers employed in tho stokehold, and out of that number seven left tho ship, leaving 27 remaining in tho vessel. In regard to the non-supply of hot water. It may Ire mentioned that when the Maori arrived in New Zealand she was not fitted with a hot-water supply for tho use of tho men, and subsequently the company rectified tho complaint by having steam pipes connected with the baths. Tho Wahine is exceptionally dirty in her stokehold, which is caused by the forced draught fan,i over tho heads'of the men, and naturally their bodies get very dirty from coal dust, etc. Owing to u lack of a hot-water supply, tho men harp been nhablo to properly clean their bodies before turning into the bunks after coming off watch, and as a quantity of grease accumulates on tho firemen and trimmers on watch, it requires hot watur to remove it, hence tho request to the company, which I personally made to the manager, for tho installation of hot-water pipes. Regarding your comments on the accommodation of the men, it is admitted that thero is little to complain of, except to say that in my judgment tho accommodation for tho deck hands is not so good as tho accommodation provided for. (he same class of men on the t.s.s. Maori.