THE SEAMEN & FIREMEN.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1896, 3 November 1913, Page 9

THE SEAMEN & FIREMEN.

STRIKE RUMOURS. WAHINE'S MEN COME OUT. AGAINST THEIR -WILL. '• r - .During the past, few days many unofficial statements/' have .. been made about' 'the .'likelihood' of the "seamen and firemen coming out on strike, Aa yet' no concerted aotion on the part of the seamen has been taken. However, there now appears to be a possibility of some action, fo,r at Lyttelton on Saturday nipht the seamen and firemen on the Wahine / gave their employers—the Union Steam Ship Co. —24' hours' notice. Mr. W. A..'Kennedy (local manager, of the/company) stated to a reporter last evening that tho crew had given notice on ■ Saturday night, and -it expired last evening. Upon arrival at Wellington yesterday, and after'landing passengers and lug-gage,-the Wahine .went out to. join the fleet in tho stream. The seamen and firemen of; the vessel'will come ashore this morning. Asked whether a steamer would leave for Lyttelton. this evening,. Mr. Kennedy stated that , the company expected to arrange for .■ a steamer to leave for the southern port. He also stated/ that. the crew of the steamer Pukaki, which arrived from Onehunga on Saturday; would be paid off to-day. Mr. Kennedy further stated that so far ho had not received any notice from' tho crews of any, of the company's other vessels. No Deslro to Strike. It is stated on good: authority that the crew of the Wahine had no desire whatever to leave their ship, but-Mr. W. T. Young, secretary' of the Seamen's Union, telegraphed the ' crew, when they, were at Lyttelton, to give 24 hours' notice, and much against fheir will, it is said, they wero obliged to-acoept-the position.' It is understood that the crew also received a telegram from Mr. W. Belcher, secretary of the Seamen's, Union .(Dunedin), Urging them not,to come out. ,