MYTH ABOUT S.S. MOANA.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1907, 15 November 1913, Page 6

MYTH ABOUT S.S. MOANA.

INGENIOUS , STOrV. CANARD BY THE STRIKE BOSSES. One of the most extraordinary stories circulated since tho commencement of tho strike was that given currency., by the strikers yostorday to the effect thiifc tho San Francisco mail steamer Moana had returned to port.. The Moana, which has been lying at Wellington for about a -week, and winch was loaded by Arbitration labour, left Wellington for San Francisco at 10 p.m. on Thursday. While the vessel was at Wellington the majority of the members of her orow came out, and it'was necessary before she sailed for other seamen and firemen to be engaged to take their places. Cheered Theaiselves Hoarse. It was announced about noon yesterday, from tho strike headquarters, that the- vessel, had been unable to go on her way, and had returned to AVorser Bay. The announcement, was received , With enthusiasm by the crowd of strikers assembled in Post Office Square, and they proceeded to cheer themselves hoarse in celebration of the -event.. The notice posted outsitlq the union office read: "Monna returning. Scabs refuse duty. Fight on." The story was, repeated by several speakers i« the Square, awl on every occasion it. was received with loud cheers as a sign of victory. Although no ono could, bo found who had actually seen the vessel in. Worser Bay, the story was so widely repeated that it began to be really believed by a good many people. The Sors Reality. ; A wireless message was sent to the Waster of the vessel {Captain Stringer) by the Wellington manager of the Union Company (Mr. W. A. Kennedy), arid <x reply was received shortly afterwards giving an absolute denial to tho statement that the now men had refused duty. : ■ Mr. Kennedy's reply stated thai the vessel was over 200 miles away from Wellington, that slio' tfas making good progress, and that she had so far averaged a speed of 13.2 knots per hour. The Moaiia. ■is known amongst seafaring moil as a somewhat difficult ship to fire Her mail contract speed is 13 ■knots per Lour, so that her new complement of firemen must be wonkins; more- efficiently tha.u tho old lot used to do. The story that the vessel had returned was so obviously false that there was, it is generally thought, a motive behind it It is stated in shipping circles that the strikers hoped that tho canard would influence the men of tho I WilSochra, which was preparing to leave for Sydney, in continuation' <sf her veyagejrom San Francisco, to come out. The Willochta's men were opeuly hostile to the Arbitrationist labourer's, but they were so near tho end of the round trip for which they had signed on— Sydney to San Francisco and baek—that they were not inclined to risk a month's imprisonment, a)id, further, incur tho loss of tw-o months , wages. If this wea-o really tho strikers' intention, they failed miserably, for the Willochra's men stuck loyally by their boat, : which left for Sydney at 8.10 p.m. Was Mr. Hiohey Leaving? One of the most extraordinary features of ihe incident was the speech made in the Square during the afternoon by Mr. P. Hiikoy, secretary of the United Federation of Labour. Mr. Hickoy said that i» had been told in the morning by a mam who did not know him that "that fellow Hickey had cleared out to San Francisco." That this was not the easo they could 6ee..by the fact that he stood there before them. Ajb the same time, he had to plead ".half-guilty," sis he had iiite'mkd to go to Sa,n Francisco., and would have sailed by the Mdaua; Ho had not managed to get any further, however, than Worser Bay, j where tho vessel/ho said, then lay. Here ho was put on shore, and ho had walked back to town, the ] only money he had with him being a ; draft- on. a San Francisco bank. He. had not anticipated' tho necessity for spending any car fares for seme" time to conic. The speaker made several references to the alleged failure of the Union Company to clear the vessel, which nevertheless had already been reported to be some 20D miles away from j : Wellington, and "going strong." I: