MAORI HELD UP

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10290, 27 May 1919, Page 5

MAORI HELD UP

TROUBLE WITH FIREMEN. Some four hundred passengers who had embarked, on the turbine ferry steamer Maori tor Lyttelton last evening were doomed to a most unpleasant disappointment, for, owing to the Uisallection among the vessel's firemen, her departure .for.. Lyttelton had to be deferred till 3 p.m. to-day. Instructions to Captain Cameron, of tile Maori, were given by the local management of the Onion Company to permit those passengers who were unable to obtain accommodation ashore to sleep on board the vessel for the night. Many persons, however, for some unexplained reason, came ashore and the city hotels were besieged by men,-women, and children for lodgings for the night. As the hostelries were already full or nearly full several of the people Irom the Maori were turned away. The night was wet and cold, and the experience of some of the travellers was unenviable.

Some of - the Maori’s firemen signed oft the ship’s articles yeeterdaj, and it was a difficult matter to secure substitutes. At 7.45 o’clock last evening, the appointed time for the ship’s departure for Lyttelton, the vessel had one man over the number that would permit of her proceeding to sea under two-thirds boiler power. The Maori has on scores of occasions had to travel between Wellington and Lyttelton with only two-tbirds boiler power, but at the eleventh hour last evening tho firemen refused to take the ship to sea under reduced power. 1c wajj thought that the men might prove amenable to reason, but they remained obdurate, so at 0 p.m. it was decided to postpone tho departure for Lyttelton until to-day. If the vessel gets away at 3 p.m. she will, on arrival at Lyttelton, return immediately to Wellington, to pick up her usual running from here to-morrow night.