THE RETURN OF S.S. OPAWA.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1921, 2 December 1913, Page 6

THE RETURN OF S.S. OPAWA.

FIREMEN REFUSE DUTY. AN ACT ON THE HIGH SEAS. THE MEN ARRESTED. Word spread round the wharves yesterday 1 that the New Zealand Shipping Company's Opawa, which had put to sea lor London at noon, was ix-tiiriiiii<>-o port. At-2.40 p.m. the steamer canw back round Point Halswell, and it wis soon known that fourteen of her flymen had refused duty on tho high seas. Inoy had been placed on board earlier in the day, but had intimated to their captain that if the vessel wero taken out to. sea they would do nothing Thencarried this threat out. Police Boat Puts Out. As soon as tho Opawa anchored a posso of five police, under Sub-Inspector Shoehan and Sergeant Murpliv. went out to her in llio tug l'ilot.. T'ho firemen wero drawn up in lino on deck, and at tho command of one of tho officers they descended t'ho ladder and wero ranged aft on tho Pilot. Hardly a word was spoken, and after a few minutes tho Pilot cast off from tho Opawa. A crowd was waiting at tho head of tho Ferry Wharf when the tug berthed. Tlio men wero formed up two deep, and escorted by mounted and foot polir.o the.y moved off in the direction of tlio Lambton , Quay pelic-o station. Naturally enough, the procession drew crowds of sightseers. As they .passed across Customhouse Quay a number of strikers and seamen made an attempt to raise cheers, and, further on, a larger group of seamen and others wero standing in front, of tho Missions to Seamen's Tlall. A couple of mounted policemen moved them on, disappearing chieiiy into tlio building. Tlio horsemen could not, of ■course, ride into tho doorway, and, from there, lialf-a-dozAi men poised their heads out and endeavoured to cheer. Theso cheers, apparently, roused no enthusiasm, and the firemen, with sullen faces, marched on to tlio police station. The Refusal at Sea. From inquiries mado it scorns that tho men were fully determined not to take tlio' Opawa to sea. Nino of those now under arrest wero firemen and five were trimmers. After tho Opawa had got well outside the liarbour limits the.y wero mustered on deck and asked by tho captain if they still refused duty. A reply v.-as given in tho affirmativo by 14,, but ono elected to stand by tho ship. Tho ship's engineers then undertook tho task of bringing her back to port. Tho men' will appear at tho Magistrate's Court this morning, when they will be charged, under JScction 135, Clause D, of tho Shipping and Seamen's Act. Tho clause roads as follows:— "If whilo on tlio high seas ho combines to disobey ths lawful commands, or to noglcct duty, or to impede the navigation of tlio ship, or tho progress of tho voyage, lio shall be liable to twelve months' imprisonment.-. . ." Farmers to tho Rescue. It becamo known last evening that there aro dozens of applicants for positions on the Opawa, and that slits will bo dispatchcd for, London at noon on Wednesday. Several of tlio men who are desirous of singing on are- farmers from tlio country. j