TROUBLE ON THE MAITAI
FIREMEN AND GREASERS SIGN OFF. .. ' Like their brethren on the Maheno, at Sydney,' the firemen, on board the Union Company's steamer Maitai have caused ■ trouble at Wellington. The ;Maitai was scheduled to leave this port for Sydney yesterday afternoon, but the men engaged in the •stokehold and engine-room gave the necessary .24 hours', notice and signed.off.the steamer's articles.: The result was'that the Union Company "could not fill tho 18 or 20 vacancies and the Maitai had to,he' detained at the wharf. It appears that there was much discontent amongst this particular section of the Maitai's crew on the run .up to San. Francisco. On arrival at the Californian port it is understood that the stokehold crew caused further trouble and incidentally delayed the departure of the mail steamer by" 30 hours. From what could be gathered the men in question received £3 per man to spend ashore.' Although they were not entitled to this sum they demanded £10.. This, of course, was refused and hence the trouble and delay. On arrival at Wellington on Wednesday night or Thursday morning they gave 24 hours' notice to leave the ship. According to. law, and the ship's articles, they were within their rights in doing this, as they had signed on in New Zealand. The reasons given for their action were that they would have to be paid off in Sydney, in any case,- and as most of them have their, homes here they did not want to go farther,; losing work between the time of-their paying off in Sydney and their, return to Now Zealand, wlere according to their agreement they are entitled to be brought at the expense of the company.
An endeavour was made to procure other firemen, trimmers, and greasers to take ■ the places of those who had signed off the Maitai yesterday, but as much as £10 for the run to Sydney was asked by applicants for the positions. Had tile Union Company noceded to this demand it would have meant that the men employed would have been in receipt of wages averaging about £2 10s. per day.
The Maitai had a large number of through passengers on hoard for Australian ports'and these were sent on to Sydney by the Ulimaroa.
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Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2283, 17 October 1914, Page 7
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377TROUBLE ON THE MAITAI Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2283, 17 October 1914, Page 7
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