DISGRUNTLED STOKERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 65, 3 August 1912, Page 5

DISGRUNTLED STOKERS.

| CONFRONTED BY FIJI POLICE. ' Auckland, Wednesday. } As announced .briefly by cablegram, ■ considerable trouble was caused while I< the mail steamer Zealandia was at Suva, en route from Vancouver to Auckland, through a strike among the firemen and 1 trimmers. During the voyage from VanI eouver to Fiji one of the fireman had shown a decided tendency towards insubordination, and at last his conduct became so bad that it was decided to keep , him in confinement for 21 days. This j decision was r«sente4 by the other firej mc» and trimmers—about 30 in munber {—and five minutes before the boat was due to sail at 1 o'clock on Saturday last tlicy "came out" en masse, and consequently the vessel was hung up just as j everything was ready for her departure. _Tn defence of their conduct the men did not advance the excuse that thev objected to -the imprisonment of one of their number, but stated that as tlley were a man short and his place could not be fiil'ed by a union member, they would refuse to sail. Suiting the action to the word, thev had prepared to go ashore, but the Fiji ] Police had been communicated with in i the meantime, and when the strikers j were ready to quit the ship, they found a I posse of three European police officers ) and several stalwart Fijian keepers of ) the peace ready to convey them to durl.'ince vile if they went aftHore.

A conference between the company's local manner and the men then took place, and in two hours the dispute was settled, the arrangement being that the manager was to take charge of the '•prisoner."

After two hours.-and a. quarter's delay,' the men resumed work, and the vessel was able to continue her voyage.