FIREMEN ON STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2373, 1 February 1915, Page 6

FIREMEN ON STRIKE

S,S. MAORI HELD UP

TROUBLE ON THE WAHINE

SITUATION BECOMING SERIOUS

"Things have como to a protty pass when a handful of firemen are allowed to inconvenience practically the wholo of tho New Zealand public for a mere whim," said a passenger from south by tlie Waliine yosteruay morning to a Uomixion reporter. "it is aboui time that the travelling public, and especially tho business community, realised that Mis state of affairs lias gone quite far enough. Hera were over 400' passengers waiting to leave Lyttelton for Wellington on Friday niglit by the Maori, and just because some of tne stokehold crew had an alleged grievance with one of their supsiior officers His Majesty's mails and practically the whole of the business firms in both islands had to await their pleasure or else go back to Christchurch and await the U'ahine and Westralia, which left Lyttelton for Wellington on Saturday night. Dozens of people who had busiuess appointments in Auckland and elsewhere have lost valuable time, and 1 might go so far as to suggest that tho community at large has lost a considerable amount of money by this action of a few firemen."

The speaker was referring to the trouble caused by the Maori's firemen at Lyttelton on Friday night, and ho and several hundred other-s felt the position very keenly on arrival at Wellington yesterday. After several of the stokehold crew on the Wahine had visited their friends on the Maori at Lyttelton on Saturday afternoon it was plainly seen that trouble was brewing on that ferry steamer also. As a matter of fact it is said that it was just a touch and go '■ whether the Wahine would 'sail for Wellington that evening. Better counsels seemed to prevail, however, and the Maori's passengers and mails were brought to Wellington by the Wahine yesterday morning. The trouble was not all over as far as the "ferry flier" was concerned, however, and on arrival at the wharf yesterday morning the whole of the stokehold crew of the latter vessel gave tho necessary 24 hours' notice for reasons best known to themselves. The position now is that there is a possibility of the Wahine not sailing from this port for Lyttelton this evening. Mr. W. T. Young, general secretary for . the.Seamen's Union, and late president ' of tho Federation of Labour,"when approached by a reporter on Saturday said that there was nothing for publication, and.as he left for Lyttoltou by the Pateena on Saturday evening no further statement could he obtained from him. How the Trouble Started. At 8.15 p.m. on Friday after all the passengers and mails had been embarked from the second express from the south at Lyttelton the ferry steamer Maori still remained alongside the wharf. It was not long before tho cause of the delay was bruited abroad. "Trouble with the firemen" were words on everybody's lips. About ten minutes to eight, shortly after the arrival of tho express those people standing on 'ho wharf saw the firemen troop ashore in a body and remain there. It could easily be seen that something, serious had occurred. Tho general account was that the firemen had a grievance against one or the engineers, and shortly before tho vessel was about to sail tho men's union delegate went to the captain and informed him that the firemen would not work the ship unless a particular engineer remained ashore. Tho captain replied that he had no power to do anything, and tho result was that the men went on strike.. Two Accounts—Men's and Official. A "Sun" representative approached a group of firemen on the wharf with a query as to what was the matter, and was told that they would not go to sea with the third ongineor. "He's interfering too much, aud got our delegate 'sacked,' " remarked one man. The reporter invited further ventilation of 1 their grievances, but tho men would say • no more and gave a warning that if the pressman did not "sheer ofE". it would ' be the worse for him. The official account of the trouble is as follows: —At 4 p.m., when tho watches havo to bo ' changed, two men, tho donkeyman (who [ is the nnion delegate), and a fireman, ' had not shown up in tho engine room. ' At 4.10 p.m. the third engineer, acting f under instructions, went to the fore- ' castle to call them. Ten minutes later 1 they Were in their places at the stokc- ' hold to commence work, and then at ! 4.30 p.m. both went to the chief ongin- ! eer and gave notice of their intention to ' sign off at Wellington on Saturday. The * regulations provide that 24 hours' no- ' tice must bo given on either side before any member of a ship's company can sign off, or be discharged, as the case may be. There was no hint of any ) trouble, though the donkeyman is al- ) leged to havo made some remark to > the effect that he thought that a . donkeyman should have some liberty, ) presumbaly referring to his being- .' called to work by the third engineer. 3 The next move was that at ten minutes 1 to eight all the stokehold hands —15 ( firemen, nine trimmers, and three i greasers —went ashore. - Other Facts Concerning the Trouble. Further inquiries mado resulted in ' other facts concerning tho trouble being 0 unearthed. ' For instance, it is stated ' that during the past month 'or so, s through a shortage of trimmers, the en- • gincers have been foroed to employ nons union men. According to the regula--1 tions of tho Seamen and Firemen's * Union, a man must at the end of. a month of employment become a member 0 of the union and pay its fees. It is i alleged that several times trimmers havo

been engaged, worked for a month, and ' then signed off without paying any union dues. This, says a Christchurch paper, has made the unionist firemen , very dissatisfied, and the donkeyman, as '•■ delegate, has been censured for nob \ stopping it. If this be true the men ; have a grievance, but it lies in their own [ power to end it. Still, their own story ! was that their animus was _ directed , against the third engineer. It is_ stated, , again, that for a considerable time the J firemen havo nob been too punctual in I attending their watches, and thero has 1 boon a noticeable restiveness for some , time past, and as a matter of fact what took place on Friday night was not al- [ together unexpected. Efforts to Cot the Ship Away. r Seeing that there were so many pas--9 scngers, and also that the southern 1 mails were heavy, every effort was made r by the Union Company's officials at I Lyttolton to get the Maori away. The men remained obdurate, however, anil " at a late hour the passengers had been n informed of the delay. They accepted P the position philosophically, though nc !" doubt it was a serious matter for some. ' Some of them returned to Christchurch. hut the- majority remained on board al „ night- ., In this connection some amusing episodes havo been reported. A lady pas sDiiger informed a Dominion reportci h yesterday morning that she had goni b. straight off the train on to the boaJ i- and had gone to bed. There were t\v< '' other lady passengers in the same 1,1 cabin. .After having passed the usuii * remarks about Llio. kind of trip tiny " fixnunlibWy. bft.Jwve,. tliejira

of them went to sleep. Awakening early the next morning the lady in question' remarked that Hie Maori was a "beautiful ship to travel in and had nover moved all night." Judge her astonishment on gaining tho deck on Saturday morning and finding that in all truth tho Maori had not moved all night! The Position To-day. The position this morning is that tho Maori's firemen are still out and the Wahiue's men are likely to ho in tho same position before the day is much older. Seeing that the Maori's stokehold crew did not give the necessary notice, they have broken olio of the clauses in'their agreement and each man who has como out ou strike is liable to a £10 fine and other punishment under tho Shipping and Seamen's Act. It is stilted that the men had been officially instructed to brine tho Maori to Wellington where their grievance could have been properly considered by the Seamen's "Union. From further inquiries made in official quarters in Wellington on Saturday and yesterday it was ascertained that if the men' would not return to work the Union Company would tie tho Maori up till the men had had time to consider the foolishness of their act.

It is said that a considerable number of seamen do rot hold with the actions of the firemen on several steamers trading round the New Zealand coast of late. If tho present state of affairs continues, tho opinion is held that thore will be a serious split in tho ranks of the Seamen's Union-in New Zealand.

On inquiry from local officials of the Union Company last evening a reporter was informed that till word was received from the south this morning no announcement could be mado concerning the running of steamers _in the Wellington-Lytteltdn ferry service.

ATTEMPT AT ADJUSTMENT

BY LABOUR DEPARTMENT OFFICERS. (By Telegraph.—Presy Association.) Christchurch, January 31. Two members of the Labour Department met the men with a to effecting an adjustment, hut on being approached by a reporter thoy declined to make any statement for publication. It was learned, however, from another source that the men will remain firm hi the action' they have taken. It is understood that', an official of tho Wellington branch of the Seamen's and Firemen's Union telegraphed to the men suggesting that they should taka the Maori back to Wellington, where their grievance could bo better considered.

There are no further developments to report regarding the firemen trouble on the Maori, which boat is still at Lyttelton. The Pateena made a smart run down from Wellington yesterday. Among the passengers was Mr. W. F. Young. The firemen on tho Wahine gave 24 hours' notice last night that they would leave tho vessel at Wellington to-night.