WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3406, 10 February 1920, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

TERRY HOLD TJT. TROUBLE I2ST SI^^HOLD. l3t (Special Correspondent. WELLINGTON, Feb. 9. The ferry steamers between Wellington and Lyttelton again are held upThe trouble 'at this end is with the Maori, and at the Lyttlcton end with the Mararoa. At 7 o’clock on Friday evening the firemen and trimmeis walked off the former vessel, and refused to return until certain defects in the boilers were repaired. They allege that they had given notice of their intention to do this some dajs before, and that they had been working under almost intolerable conditions solely to serve the travelling public from inconvenience. Two inspectors of the M'arine Department testified that the boilers were sound and the vessel seaworthy, but the men remained obdurate, and at half-past nine the passengers 500 in all—were compelled either to disembark or to arrange for accommodation on board the ves-

gel. The trouble with the Mararoa had to do with a case of influenza which developed on the trip down on Friday night, and necessitated ‘a thorough fumigation of the vessel, whiqh could not be completed to the satisfvaetion of the men in ‘time to allow her to return on Saturday. THE MEN ’S ATTITUDE. From such information as can be obtained, the ‘attitude of the crew of the Mararoa was not altogether unreasonable. The health oflicer at -Lyt'telton has been ‘making light of influenzaeases, and any fumigation that could liarve' taken place during the eight or nine hours the vessel remained in port must have been of a more or less superficial character. But the case of the firemen and trimmers of the Maori is not quite so clear. The men

declare that for some time past the boilers of the Vessel have been leaking badly and flooding the stokehold with scalding water. It has been ‘impossible, they say, to get up a full head of steam, and the conditions have been not only extremely disagreeable, but actually perilous. mhae iUnion C’omlpany- on the other hand, points to the report of the Government inspectors, who were called —in at the request of the men, and insists the conditions are nothing like they have "been represented to be. However ,the boilers are now being overhauled, and it is hoped the vessel will get away this evening. “ THE COAL DISPUTE. ' After their conference here last week the members of the Coal Miners’ Association interviewed 'the Prime Minister with Ia view to obtaining his assistance in facilitating a settlement of the dispute between the Association and the Miners’ Federation, and on Saturday Mr Massey issued for publication a statement which has revived hopes of the negotiations between the parties being resumed on an amicable footing. “In connection with l'hr_= coalmining dispute,” the statement runs, “the Prime Minister has arranged to meet a conference of representatives of the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners’ Association and representatives of the executive of the!’ Miners’ Federation next Wednesday, in Wellington.” Mr Massey denies the report of the conference being a compulsory one, and declares himself hopeful of bringing about a settlement that will be satisfactory to both the employers and the men and Welcome to the public. The representatives of the Federation remain reticent, and are giving no ‘information away. “A SCRATCH TEAM.”

‘This is the title‘ the Evening Post applies to the Ministry that has been carrying on the business of the country since the -dissolution of the National Government. Having fought vallantly for the winning side during the election campaign it resumes as gracefully as it may its old role of the candid friend. Its text for the moment is the need for '3, live Minister of public Works. “If party exigencies" and personal »relationships were excluded from eonlsideration.” ‘it says, there would be no case at all for delay, and the call for an immediate appointment would be overwhelming.” From this it proceeds to Say that the" need for reconstruction arose immediately the Germans laid down their arms, and implies that someone is very much to blame for not having fiaken it in hand at that time. And then, after mention. ing certain “Pal'tY and personal considerations which are more or less an open secret,” it Warns Mr Massey he will only increase his‘dllficulties by aelay. One of his difliculties must be to urfderstand what his adviser means,