TROUBLE ON THE MAITAI

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2284, 19 October 1914, Page 8

TROUBLE ON THE MAITAI

STOKEHOLD CREW ALMOST OBTAINED. Since Friday last endeavours havo been made to find greasers, • firemen, and trimmers to replaco thoso men who left tho Union Company's Maitai at Wellington. Up till Saturday evening some fourteen men had signed on and it was thought that tho remaining four would lie found in time for tho vessel to sail for Sydney on Saturday night. This could not bo accomplished, however, so the 6toamor's departure, was necessarily postponed till noon yesterday. When that hour arrived tho stokehold crew was still incomplete and consequently the departure of tho vessel was further iwstponod till 8 a.m. to-day. Up to tho time of writing tho action of the firemen had delayed tho for three days and then the prospects wero not very encouraging. According to a statement mado to a reporter by the secretary of the Seamen's Union the union executive- is not at the bottom of the affair. Ho hopes to ho able to procure the men. Mr. Young also said that no vessel was going to bo etuck up like the Maitai lias been unless it is officially stuck up by tho union. Any_ member of the union sticking any ship up without tho union's authority would be severely dealt with, it would probably mean that ho -would bo expelled from -the union. This drastic stop would mean preventing a man from obtaining employment in any ship on tho coast of New Zealand or Australia.