SHIPPING TROUBLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 September 1925, Page 2

SHIPPING TROUBLE.

[Australia it N.Z. Cable Association.] X.Z. POSITION. A’l’ll F.NIC'S CHEW JOIN. AUCKLAND, September 29. '1 he Athenic. alter completing the discharge of the Auckland portion of her cargo from London, was to sail to-morrow for Wellington. However, the crew announced this afternoon that they would take the vessel into the stream, hut not to sea. It was thought that there was a chance of the Athenic not lieing affected by the strike, as she commenced her voyage on August LI. niter the new agreement came into force. Consequently the crew are receiving the new rate ol wages.

Tilt: NI AC Alt A IDLE. THOFBLF OYER OIL. AUCKLAND. September 29. The latest addition to the idle fleet resulting front the seamen’s strike is the royal mail steamer Niagara, which was unable to sail lor \ ancouver today. owing to the crew refusing to take her to ,-oa. The trouble in this case arose because the Union Company sttppl.ed oil fuel from the Niagara’s tanks to the New Zealand Shipping Company’s steamer Hualiine which has been involved ill the strike. Ihe Hun-

Him- moored alongside the Niagara on Monday evening and the oil was pumped during the night. This morning the Hualiine returned to the Queen’s wharf and resumed loading lor England. Alter the Hualiine berthed alongside the Niagara Hie crew of the Niagara showed their resent incut. In order to prevent ally trouble, two members of the wharf police were slntioned on the Niagara all night. The Hualiine arrived at Wellington from London on September G, and a few days later, about half the crew went on strike. The remainder, witli additional kelp, brought her to Auckland. The refusal of the Niagara's crew t" take their ship to sett was made in sympathy with the British seamen on strike, and. in order not to assist in anv way the movements of vessels affected. The crew of the Niagara contend that the oil fuel supplied to the Ruahine was brought to Auckland specially for the purpose. According to Mr I). Carter (Auckland manager nl the 1 nion Coy) it was not brought for this, lie stales the Hualiine should have hunkered nl Wellington. The storage tanks there were short of oil. and when the \\ nirunn arrived from Sail Francisco, site was forced to carry a large amount of oil to Sydney, instead of unloading at Wellington. To meet the situation, the Niagara took on hoard extra fuel in her tanks at Sydney, to allow storage at that, port for the AYairnna’s overcarried oil cargo.

The decision of the crew ol the Niagara was not announced until sailing time, eleven o’clock this morning. The passengers, numbering about ISO were on hoard. The gangway was lowered on the wharf, anil the crew went to their stations. As the master gave the order to let go the mooring line, two delegates from the crew went to the bridge and inform.ed Captain Showman that, the men would not take the vessel to sea. The two men tin'll stepped oil' the vessel. on to a crane, and climbed down to the wahrf. The caplain again gave an order to “let go.' lint all the (leek hand- vacated tlmii stations. They were replaced by nllicers who cast oil and hove the lines on hoard. The Niagara went into Hie .stream with the captain at the wheel and engineer- doing the work nl the stokehold hands. The Union Coiununv communicated with Air Anderson, the local Secretary of the Seamen’- Union, and a-ked li'ni to intervene in the trouble. He went oil to the Niagara in the stream,, hut nothing resulted. When the two delegates left the Niagara. one cabled to the Seamen's Union in Australia for instructions..

The departure of the Niagara now depends on the reply, which had not arrived at a late hour to-night.

RARAXGA MEN BETI'BN. DUNEDIN, September ’JO. The crow of the Haranga returned to ihe ship on Monday evening, and resumed wink ibis morning, wink proceeding without a hitch. It is stated that the men have been advised to remain by the shin. IN A I 'STB AfJ A. NO PILOTS AVAILABLE. BRISBANE. September 20. The threat by the Seamen’s Union to declare black: any pilot who takes charge ol the steamer Port Auckland, continues to prove elici t ive. The Government has made no move to countermand its order Hint pilots he not supplied to the vessel. The case of the Pori Auckland is said to oik- of the most reinarkahle in the history of commerce in Queensland, and is being watched with keen interest by the mercantile section in Brisbane. Ministerial and official heads have refused to discuss the po.-ition.

.Meantime, the steamer Ayrshire is unable to In-rill, or in take aboard a large consignment of frozen meat.

Endowing a deputation of the ship owners to the Premier (Mr Gillies), the Government agreed to supply a pilot to move the Port Auckland to the Pile Light. A pilot will also he supplied for i he Pipiriki. ■BRITISH PORTS. SAILINGS C’ANCTILLED. LONDON. September 28. The Australian lines announced that they are compelled to cancel the- following sailings from Britain owing to 71 vessels being held up overseas: Arawa. Tainui. Waimana. Bendigo. Uarradool. Pe-ltaiia. Tlioniistooles. l-’.uriped-s. So pinnies. Aminas. A sea nine and Runic. Oliieial notice Inis been issue,] t<, passengers that the shipping concerns; have specified seventeen vessels which will lx- tillable to sail for South Africa and Australia at 1h scheduled dates, in consequence of the 'trike overseas. It adds that the despatch of cargo steamers j- also , ] i-orga nis'-d. preventing the ■>i -1 • ora i y regular -ervice. THE " BED " PERIL. LONDON. September 2 ; . Mr Havelock Wilson ha- returned from Canada. He declares: "The ('oiuinunisl s arc al the lei lutit of the -hipping strike. The Reds menace the wellare ol the nation, and organised labour. f have preached this for six year- t:imea-inglv. until I have been called a pessimist. Nevertheless tiered petil must he faced." LONDON. September 28. The Orient Company have notified in- j tending passengers bv the Orsova that it will be virtually impossible ho main- [ tain her November sailing date from London.

FUSILADF OF FLOUR HAGS.

LEADERS AND MEN HAVE A BRAWL.

(Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, September 29

The strikers at Avonmoiith declined to listen to two oflicials of the Seamen's and Firemen's I'nion and greeted them with a fusilade of Hour hags. Later the strikers’ procession encountered the union officials, three of whom were severely injured. The police arrested a striker, resulting in a demonstration outside the police station. A cordon was drawn across the street and the police had a serious tussle witli the angry strikers till the prisoner received hail.

THE OHYIFTO. SYDNEY, September GO. The Oversea Skipping Representative- Association states that no trouble was experienced nu the Orvicto and the vessel will sail to time.

MELBOURNE, September 30. * Eleven members ol the crew of th»» Orvieto vi-ite;l the Trades Hall and announced that they would join the strikers. They constitute a watch and it i- cxoecU'd another watch will join the strikers to-night. The Chairman ot the sttake committee said he was sure the whole crew would ultimately join and he was certain the vessel would be unable to leave port. There were a few nonunion members of the crew and he thought these were diffident about joining the strike, because of the hostile reception they may receive from the strikers ashore.

THE Nl AG AH A DISPUTE. (Received this day at 8 a„w.) SYDNEY, September 30.

The management oi the 1 nion Steamship Company, in reference to the hold-up of the Niagara, states that it is flic usual thing for their vessels to take in a full supply of oil at Sydney and the Niagara did not take it specially for the Hualiine. The Niagara had aboard about two thousand tons, of which nine hundred tons were pumped into the Hualiine last night. It was not till to-day. however, that the stokehold crew raised an objection.