SEA-SICK CREW

Hokitika Guardian, 18 May 1933, Page 6

SEA-SICK CREW

VOLUNTEERS IN A STORM

HUMOUR ON THEI MAUNGANUI

SYDNEY, May 11

When it jwas realised in Sydney that the Maunganui, on her voyage from. Wellington .to 'Sydney, had encountered a storm, great interest was displayed on the Sydney waterfront .in the fate of the volunteer crew which had taken the places of .the .men who had gone on .strike. Looking hack on their .stormy, passage the passengers'..on their . arrival could afford to chuckle, hut . not so the volunteers. 'Sea-sickness Ibid low. the majority of the volunteer stewards, and they did not feel like admiring the beauties ,of Sydney Harbour as the vessel stemmed to its berth. . Almost without exception the volunteers were feeling- very sorry for themselves, but they quickly recovered and then regarded the .whole . tiling as. an. adventure. Whether they will be -of. the same mind .when? they return to Well ington remains; )tn;.;be. seen. It was during the., upheaval . at sea that “Jack” the hugely; man stepped into the- breach, larid ratings, who cwere ajnong . .the passengers, did all sorts of odd jobs that would not have -fallen, to their lot in' the ordinary-course of tilings. They performed such dusks a® 'dressing half a dozen > children. before breakfast, and they helped . generally. Some of the passengers had to miake their own beds, 'but no one seemed to mind. Experienced passengers, as they watched the amateur stewards dodging one another and balancing plates of soup, never realised before what art there ri in being- a. steward on ,/a plunging liner. ’’ Strange Duties.

As the Maunganui was making her way lip the harbour- there was a mild argument between a steward and a stewardess a s to whose duty it was to mind .a ,baby while the parents were at break,last. The steward seemed quite disappointed when he was told that it was- not his job. And the steward was a university student. Passengers thought so highly of the Jack Tars that they addressed a letter to the captain expressing their gratitude to them. Some had never dressed a baby before, but they got through their job without any difficulty. The men made many friends among the passengers.

The first saloon passengers held a meeting on the night before the ship arrived, and unanimously carried a motion conveying to Captain Toten their great appreciation and thanks for the splendid efforts made by the staff of the ship and the officers in endeavouring to provide the maximum of comfort under very trying conditions. Australian watersiders and others were not prepared to take h.iiv risks of •becoming embroiled in the New Zealand dispute,and there, was no difficulty about loading or unloading the vessel,. The watersiders excused themselves by saying that, they knew nothing officially about the New Zealand trouble. So they set to work with an easy conscience. It would Reti a different, tale two years ago. Times have changed.