SIR J. MILLS AND THE GREW OF THE VICTORIA.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1936, 19 December 1913, Page 4

SIR J. MILLS AND THE GREW OF THE VICTORIA.

Sir,—lii' tiio columns of Monday's issuo I. sop" Sir J. Mills- explaining his views, rather ■ too ■ openly mid veering from the. facts very much, when he was interviewed. As ■ an A.B. on the Yjctoria I' have been watching this industrial trouble right through and when Sir J. Mill? s.iyß.tho situation is much easier, vviu'ti. ho knows it is jnst as aesite now as.it was threft weeks age. Tlie .crew of the Victoria sewn to give tho Union Company officials a lot of worry. ,Where does our 'conduct come in as notorious ? ! \Ve : simply refused and wo ma'fie oursnlvcs Viable, but whim the ■Union' Company's - able representative tried; to give '.'ussiV; scathing in Dnnedin about the, snuic ? afTciir, signing himself "Disgusted,"', he; showed his Knowledge wlion lie' thought'tho'crew was on half, pay' while fh(ivstrike''was ; ,on.' "Does Sir d.. Miiis e:;p.'i", lis to work cargo with i!iV : }iicii Jwlio aro'iivailable ai, present? If ho does, 1 sir o'v«r did,-J can assure him Jin is very. much, mistaken.j- What havo theytdoiio with 'their, owe staff of sea-

iiK'ii and, liremen. instead .of -retaining . soin<:; <jF?i. tliviiiV;'. \vlioii v i could,, have done- soTlie.v. paid.H.hcm'. off aiid k't itliciiiMind employment* c!s(!wherpY-,a-And to hide Uieiivowit undisciplined; acttiioy .blame the. soeiHy7'..wlioii.. the '."union offi-" c-ials had' no need' to'cnjlanyone out.'. ; Tliey paid them oil', but.when it suited .them to keep tho ■ crew's on, and. tlicy lc-ft'after lit. hours' notice. . Tho company gaoled tho lot o:i. tho prctenco of the Articles being some other port. When 1 know numberless-cases of. the Union Company where tliey sacked men at. any port on the Now Zealand and Australian coast if one solitary mark was against them, ignoring their agreement, and ' yet the ofl'icers complain -of want of discipline. Sir James .11 ills should never judge a man uiitil ho has thoroughly satisfied himself that ho is

whiter than lie is who canscd this trouble. • : And -yet with nil the entreaties from the' other sitio bv ablo and l'arseeing. men to settln this great trouble, the company actually try to make them believe there is no trouble, and still persist fo prefcent when every ship they try to get away .there is trouble with UK' crew. II tho sailors and firemen iiad a fair deal at the beginning there would not bavo been any difficulty with t/ie Vancouver and 'Frisco boats. Tact and diplomacy aro two grand points. Unfortunately throughout this trouble there has been a lack of both. Now a yord about the loyal officers. I know only too well their loyalty. I was one of them 'J3 years ago. Turn hack the records and' the company will find mo t.:ere. When thov have served faithfully throughout this trouble there will be tlio samo two for them as tho firemen and sailorß. Is this tho only billet tho company can find tlieir captains, i oincers, and engineers. Firing and washj nig paint, and then keep their dignity as,officers when tlio..t-roubio is over. One poult in tiio company's officers: they are always ready as Fautasmagorians any time required. Sir J. Mills is a big man in tlio company, but a long way oif from tho position of tho Laird o' Cockpon. Since we have started on this trip, October 23, from Sydney, wo liavo been.haggled to pieces in all ports for .not working this cargo, but through **1 havo always had the pleasure or looking at thoso enemies aa I would ft large toloscope. Easy to draw out, easier to . see through, and still easier to shut up.—l am, etc.,

KEACHIE. S.S. Victoria, December 10.