TROUBLE ON MAHENO

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 141, 5 September 1927, Page 9

TROUBLE ON MAHENO

STEWARDS RETICENT UNRULY ELEMENT LEFT BEHIND Dissatisfaction with the treatment meted out to them by the senior stewards., was the cause of the trouble among the stewards of the Maheno, and her Hold-up in Sydney. The boisterous voyage to Sydney may have upset their feelings as well. A story gleaned from members of the crew when the ship arrived in Auckland was that all the stewards except the first, second and fore cabin stewards, went off th-3 ship on the Wednesday night after arrival in Sydney, as a protest. There was no change in the position until Saturday afternoon, when the ■ boss” of the Union Company threatened to prosecute them. A ci.ble was received from Auckland that the union would not support their action, and that they had better bring their trouble here. “A meeting decided to remain in Sydney,” said a sailor, “but on Tuesday they got the wind up at the prospect of going to gaol. At about 3.30 tho majority decided to bring the ship to Auckland, and we got away at 5.30.”

The stewards were reticent about their “grievance,” but one of them declared that it was settled. Captain Davey, master of the Maheno, said that the unruly element among the stewards had been left behind in Sydney. There had been no cause for complaint among any other section of the crew. On the voyage to New Zealand the crew had "behaved like angels," he said.