RUNNING THE BLOCKADE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1923, 4 December 1913, Page 8

RUNNING THE BLOCKADE.

MAHENO REACHES AUCKLAND

AMATEUR STOKERS "MAKE GQOO." (By Tcleifrapli.—Press Association.) t , Auckland, December 3. 'Nero you aiulous?" "Did you think we were lost? Even in tike days of the wireless?" Oh, but we've had a great time, and feci lucky in getting out of Sydney! These and ninnv other qiiostions and exclamations of a similar nature wero exchanged bv passengers on the Mahouo with friends and relatives, when the. "Union Company's big boat arrived at Auckland to-day. "It's good to be back again when we thought wo would never get back again I" was a fervent declaration which expressed a general sentiment amongst the big crowd of passengers. Hut to hark back, things looked pretty black for the growing crowd of New Zea landers who wove anxious to move on front Svdnev. Over a lortmght ago when tho whisper went round that the Manuka was to be held tip by the Seamen's Union, it was not believed. Why siionkl it? Sureiv tho seamen and firemen would not he! foolish enough to involve Sydney, with its 30,(101) watersidcrs, in it struggle the back of which was broken ovor"in New Zealand. A h V ge crowd of immigrants and tourists had .hist landed from En p. land iroin the liner Orama, and had transhipped to tho Manuka, which was a full ship, her passengers also including some business folks who wero directly interested in the Auckland Exhibition, went aboard full of hope, especially as we saw the mails being shipped, but not even unto this dnv'has tho Manuka left Sydney. On that Saturday night all passengers were ordered ashore, but thov were told they could "leave their luggage. On Monday the mails went off again, and on Tuesday passengers wero advised to take away their baggage as there was no hope of the Manuka doing anything elso but-laying up 'in the' stream. Day after day tho anxious crowd that called at tho Union Company's office in the city grew in numbers, as more people for the other side m' Tasman Sea arrived in Sydney. Particularly anxious wero those who" intended doing business as stallholders at the Auckland Exhibition. Some of these said they wero losing very heavily by tlic hold-up. The case of some of the immigrants, too, was hard. They wore offered work immediately on the wharves and on tho ship by tho Union Com nan v. but tin's they refused. They said they did not want to bo tip against the Seamen's ■Union, and yet they were hard tip. Even some returning tourists had sailed too close to the wind financially, becoming hard up at the last stage of their journeying. Indeed, so much did some of the delayed ones feel tho strain of their enforced stay in expensive Sydney that deputations went to Iho_ papers looking for help and to arr ■Jioir grievances. Again, several business and professional men, seeking the quickest way out of Australia, sought to connect with passing steamers not involved in the trouble, such as the New Zealand Shipping Company's liners willing at Hobart, as by this time word had gone forth that the Seamen's Union was making s . dead set at tlio Union Company's boats, aji of which were to be held up in Svdnev until tho strikers had declared the strike off at tno f\ew Zealand end. But,tho searchers retcrred to found all ways out blocked and barred. Then it was suggested to them that the Shinpii'm I'oderalion Was the cause of their not 'Rotting such .passages. . A deputation representing these most anxious ones iherelore, waited upon Mr. David Mills, the most worried man in the eivv. -win, t-° S c! o £ cms Syilucy Il,an! >g«' «f tho U.S.S. Company is chairman of tho federation. Mr. Mills assured them that the icdoration would not stop amman getting to New Zealand on <inv boat, and added that he was usim* every endeavour fa get all the Now Zea° landers away. The next stage in a vorrvin" time was tho intimation that tho Mi" heno would really leave for New Zealand. .She had been to' Newcastle and goo aboard enuugli coal to mako tho yoyagos to New Zealand. On her return irnm Newcastle tho Mahcno was anchored in Neutral Bay, just opposite the city, and did not go to the wharves. Next her seamen and firemen went ashore to stay. Later, and quite unesprcieuiy, the worst blow of all to the Hopeful ones—her stewards followed tho example. Appeal was now made to tno Aew South Wales Government to step in and induce the men to go hack and work tiie ship, so as to relieve the stress oi tho ever-growing crowd cf would-be passengers.", and to the distress of tho immigrants'no response satisfactory came from cither firemen or Government. Probably the latter wero too busy electioneering. It may be, however, that this failure to raise tlio blockade will cost tho Holnian Government the elections, for tho New South Wales people have become aggravated by what is called the foolish carrying of New Zealand's labour troubles to tho Sydney waterside. At length tho Union Steam Ship Company iolfc apparently that it had exhausted alb the means available, and must now fail back upon other resources. Therefore, when the immigrants and other passengers next calicd at tlio office* to urge some action, it was put to them— would they help work the ship if it became necessary? The rail was for vclniitcors for every department in wnrking'tlio ship, excepting oliicers and engineers, who were r-.vailr-blo in plenty owing to the laying up of units of tho lied i'unnel fleet as they came into Sydney. Tho response to this .special call was so ready and hearty that wo were all told to get aboard the Maheno out in the stream at 'J p.m. on Thurs-

Vi'iiat n scene was there in Neutral I!ay, and what an anxious time of v.niting! Our luggage and provisions were carried out in a great open barge, and the women and children went out in launches. Many willing hands made, light work. Yet the night came on and sti!! the ship <litl not move. The Hoard of Trade ofncials came aboard and carefully examined the ship's quarters ami sear, especially testing the lifeboats, for the vessel was t;i take an extra large crowd: tho passengers of the Manuka, Mahcno and Oranin combined! In the iirsL-claas '' : i\. in the second-class 178, (iflieci'ii, crew, etc., Hi. As the vessel was yrovenfcu by the strikers from tai eying cargo, her holds had been converted into comfortable second-class quarters, and still the nhiht were on undisturbed: Why the delay:- 'Presently it wa.s, joyfully pi,/claimed thai, a i'iii'l (rev; and complement for .stoking, trimming, a ml stewarding iiad signed en. llo'iv that complement was made up is pari, of t!i" story ol how the vessel gal away at midnight.' Two retired sea captains, who had traded in New /'calami waters for many years, and wor.~ now returning from lours abroad, signed n« able seamen, and did valuablo service too. Professional and business men, young and old, and not so old, signed on as lire-men. thirteen ollicnrs from other steamers signed on as able seamen, immigrants went, stoking and stewarding, and many others volunteered to do any work required of them. Two of Now Zealand's leading farmers joined the commissariat staff, and thenceforward carried oolleo to (lie workers in the stokehold at regular time.-;, night, and day. At a mass, meeting of passengers it was unanimously decided thai, ail ablebodied men pledge themselves to (stand . by Captain .M'Lcau and his officers, ami ! render help in any capacity required. ["

am! a fund was immediately suhscribcd to proticie refreshments for all tiio tncii in Ule stokehold as ihcv canto oil duty M ™ «'' p i , -'- , l> of four liours. Who can adequately write of the mca wlio Ei-rvi-u so well and fitillifullv ami painfully tmder. difficult conditions at the byes below? There was only one skilled fireman in tin; crowd, to:«f under use example and enthusiasm of -the ofliccrs the raw recruits-raw ucl.iip.llv. m soil were their lauds—wcro broken in ! I'Oiunrk.-tbi.v quickly, so tliat the cropping pace steadily improved until « fid' head of steam was wot onlv got up, but maintained, and towards the ond of flit voyage tile knotago became normal, as when tlie Mahenn was doing her trading unhindered by n boll'-up. This experience of tho coming k-oma of the Mahcno is a further demonstration that tho people ran take charge of a ship when tho buccaneering ■seamen and firemen leave her and the travelling public to their fate. All crdit is not only due to the m;-n on the Malieno who Kuecossl'iilly toiled lier way over Tusman Sea, but to Captain M'Lenn and ]\k officers for making tho demonstration, and to tho chef and tho baker and tho stewards and sfcowtirdossea who sacrificed themselves unsparingly to the needs of tho people under their care in this ro-cord-makine, achievement.