THE FERRY SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 23 December 1920, Page 2

THE FERRY SERVICE

BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. CHRISTCHURCH, December 22. It is staled Die ferry service will go on without stewards, as the firemen and seamen are not expected, to strike. Sonjo stewards are stated to be not ic.y keen on striking. The Maori stewards .notice expires after 6 p.m. Orders ns to seamen, have been sent to Lyttelton from Wellington, and when unsealed, after the stewards stop, it is thought the seamen will be instructed to sail. The steaincji- Maori got away for Wellington at the usual hour, 8.55 p.m. NEWS -FROM WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, Decenflier 22. It was persistently rumoured to-day that half a. dozen of the stewards on the Wahine were giving notice, but a few minutes before the vessel sailed from Wellington Jto-night, Mr Kennedy (the Wellington manager of the Union Company) went aboard the vessel, and returned with the information that none of the notices had yet come to hand.

The men who were said to be giving notice were Lyttelton men, and if they give notice just after the vessel drew away from the wharf, the requisite period of twenty-four hours would expire befoVe the ship began its return trip. ’Hie majority of the Wahine’s men, it is stated belong to Wellington, and ,if they were leaving the vessfcl, it would suit them best to give notice at Lyttelton in the morning. The statement has been made, in addition to the bonus, that the men are asking for an eight-hour day, but Mr Kennedy said to-day that he knew of no demand except that made for the bonus.

Tlie Union Company is very hopeful of carrying on its usual service, even if all the cooks and stewards on the Wahine follow the lead given by their co-unionists on' the Maori. SEAMEN’S ATTITUDE. WELLINGTON I , December 22. “We are going to run the ships,” stated Mr T. W. Young (secretary of the- Seamen’s Union), when asked what attitude the members of his Union proposed to adopt towards the cooks and stewards’ dispute with the employers. Mr Young remarked that the cooks and stewards were not affiliated with the Transport Workers’ Federation, and the' Seamen’s Union which was affiliated, had no intention of involving the Federation in an extraneous dispute. The seamen and firemen on the Maori, Wahine, and other coastal vessels, had received written instructions from the Union to hold themselves aloof until otherwise instructed by the Union. THE STRIKE BEGINS. CHRISTCHURCH, December 22.

An unusually large crowd gathered at the Lyttelton wharf to-night to see the 'Maori off. Several of the stewards who have left the Maori and who have their homes in Wellington, bought tickets and went North a passengers.

Although there was said to be thirteen stewards skill on the steamer, none were visible about the decks, and the passengers had to carry their own baggage aboard. , About seven hundred passengers embarked.

SERVICE, TO GO ON. CHRISTCHURCH, December 22. Mr Aitken (General Manager of the , Union Coy.) stated to-night that he hoped it would be found possible to maintain the ferry service during the holidays. . In shipping circles it is bjeljeved 1 ( that the present indications are that ; the firemen aiid seamen are not in accord with the cooks and stewards and ,j that they will stand by the ships. \ A COMPANY STATEMENT, i CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 22. j Respecting the Press Association -tele- . gram from Wellington to-dav, setting j out demands of the stewards on the ■ Waliine, Mr Atlken states that the [ demand for an eight hour day comes lin the nature of a surprise. He says !it is the first he had heard of it. iAt ; present, he says, the cooks and stew- . nrds are working under an award, ! which has considerable period “to run, i and this provides for a ten hour day, i and no application has been received by the Union Coy for a reduction of horn's to eight. STEAVARDS AND TIJPS. CHRISTCHURCH, December 22. j A prominent member of the Ctooks and Stewards Union stated to-dav that the men were particularly incensed at what had appeared in the news-’ papers regarding tips. He said a few of the men did fairly well out of the tips, hut the majority received littleor nothing, and they had to exist on their" hare wages. Another grievance was the fact it had been announced that the vessels could sail without stewards. “AA T e are going to give them a chance and see if they can do without us,” he announced.

“The papers talk about the harvest of tips at this time of the year,” he remarked. “As a matter of fact we make' less out of Xmas holiday passengers than we do at ordinary times. They are mostly women and children and cheap trippers. Race times are our best times.” 'Hie grievances mentioned 1 by the steward are, of course ‘in addition to the main issue. This is whether they shall be paid the full £2 per month | bonus or not. | IN AUSTRALIA. I •’AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CARLE ASSOCIATION. SYDNEY, December 22. The Union Ccsy. announce the Malieno is sailing on Friday. ‘ , MELBOURNE, December 22. The stewards here have approached the shipowners with a view to ■ effecting a settlement. The details are not yet announced, but it is stated the ow-

ners will insist that the men shall reI turn to the ships before the negotin- | tions begin. 1 An early settlement is not expected. The tonnage rendered idle now totals 120 thousand. I More New Zealand traders are affected.