MAORI RESUMES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10291, 28 May 1919, Page 5

MAORI RESUMES

FIREMEN AND ENGINEERS

DISAFFECTION CAUSES DELAY

After, being. J atr' Wellington since Monday evening' over" trouble ■with her firemen, the turbine ferry steamer Maori got away at o’clock last night tor Lyttelton. The vessel proceeded to sea under -twothirds boiler power, but she had out? fireman over the number prescribed by the Act before she could leave port under reduced power, though insufficiently manned for full boiler power. It was intended to dispatch the vessel at 3 p.m. 1 yesterday; but-hit ewas found to be impossible to secure tno pn,a or two men to enable her to sail even with reduced boiler pressure. Eventually a couple of men were engaged, including one to whom the others had taken exception on the previous evening. Last night, however, the firemen would not sail without him. At 9 p.m. a settlement pt the difficulty appeared to have been arrived at, and the four hundred passengers on board were elated at the prospects of getting - away. Shortly afterwards, however, some of the junior engineers signified their objection to some of the firemen, and indicated that they would not tnrn-to. Next, a fireman, who had been accused by his follow-workers of being intoxicated, expressed his indignation by preparing to go ashore. in the meanwhile a conference ..between the Union Company’s Wellington officials, Captain Cameron, of the Maori, his chief engineer (Mr Hickey), and the disaffected engineers resulted in the onginers agreeing to resume duty. Subsequent to this the feelings of the fireman against whom the accusation of inebriety was made were mollified, and general harmony seemed to prevail. It uas then 10.15 p.m., and after the pressure of steam, which had dropped, had been increased again, the Maori pulled out from the wharf, and at 11 p.m. cleared the heads. There was a- moderate southerly gale and considerable sea, so the vessel was likely to have a rough passage southward.