A FIREMEN'S STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 201, 14 January 1913, Page 8

A FIREMEN'S STRIKE.

TDK MAPOURIKA LAID I"P. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Latit Night. The recent series of troubles with the stokehold, crew of the Mapourika have now culminated in a proper hold-up of the ship, which will be unable to leave to-morrow for the West Coast. Today the whole of the firemen, trimmers and greasers signed off the ship's articles. This they were entitled to do', as previously they had given the 24 hours' notice required by law, This step had been taken by the men to enforce their demands for a strengthening of tlit? stoke hold crew. The matter has been taken up by the Seamen's Union, whose secretary, Mr. T. "W. Young, told a pressman that the Union Company had no chance at all of getting a new crew until the demand is acceded to. The West port Coal Company's collier Regulus is .still tied up at the Clyde Qui.' wharf, ind ■on present appearances is likely to rejmain there for a while. Ni : ti"r ilie (ire men nor the company will siir from .he positions taken up in regard to the request for extra hands in the stokehold.

THE FIREMEN'S TROUBLE*. In an explanation of the portion, Mr. Young said that the men had resolved to leave the ship now because they considered she had become altogether too heavy for three firemen to work. The Union recently asked the company to increase the number of liremen to six. This would allow two men to a watch, who would do the firing and trimming between them. At present the vessel carried three firemen and two trimmers in her stokehold, and three greasers in the engine room. Thus there was only one fireman to a watch, and be had to attend to four fires. The concession for which the men asked would only mean an extra £l2 per month to the company, but the proposal had been absolutely declined. The company had stated that the ship had been running for fourteen years on the same number of men in the stokehold, but it was well-known that as ships got older they became harder on the men. The boilers got out of | repair, and it was more difficult to keep steam up. Two of the oldest and most respected firemen on the coast had told ! him after a week in the Mapourika's stokehold that she was the hardest thing they had ever tackled in their lives. "As to the company's threat to tie the ship up." said Mr. Young, "'We <lo not give a rap of the lingers whether they tie her up or not. The question is one purely of their own concern. They are owners of the vessel, and can do just exactly what they like with her. But so far as the men are concerned they are going to say just exactly what are the terms and conditions under which they are going to work. The first week that the trouble [occurred on the Mapourika I did my very best. to get the men to take her i to sea in order to meet the convenience of those passengers who had booked by [her, so that we might be free in placing . our proposals before the Union Company. This proposal was turned down by tile company, and now the Mapourika is turned down by "the men. We consider that they have a legitimate grievance, and as an official of the Union I am going to see them right through with, it." "Will the Mapourika get another stokeI hold crew to go to sea to-morrow rnder the old conditions?" asked .lie reporter.

"No," was the reply. "She won't get even half a man. There is absolutely no chance of- her getting a crew under the old conditions."' No statement respecting the trouble could be obtained from the officials of the Union Company yesterday. The Mapourika was moved from Jervois Quay to the railway wharf in the morning to discharge coai. Someone has been engaged on day labor to keep the steam up for the winches.