FERRY BOATS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1920, Page 5

FERRY BOATS.

FEAR OF A STRIKE. SOME STEWARDS LEAVE, HOPES TO MAINTAIN SERVICE. By telegriiin,—Presa Association.' Lyttelton, Last Night. The Maori got away for Wellington at the usual hour (8.35) to-night. Aii Unusually large crowd gathered at the Lyttelton wharf to-night to see the Maori off. Several of the stewards who have left the Maori, and who have homes in Wellington, bought tickets and went north as passengers. Although it was said there were thirteen 1 Stewards still on the steamer, none were visible about the decks, and the passengers had to carry their own luggage aboard, About seven hundred passengers embarked. Mr. Aiken, general manager of the Union Company, stated tcnight that he hb>ped It would be found possible to hlaint&iri the ferry service during the holidays. In shipping eircles' it is believed the present indications are that the firemen and seamen are not in accord with the cooks and stewards', and that they will stand by the ships. Respecting' the Pfesa Association telegram from Wellington to-day, settihg out the demands of the stewards on the 'Wahine, Mr. Aitkefl states that the demand far ttfl eight-hour day comes in the nature of a surprise. It was the Brs! he had heard of it. At present, he B&ys, the cooks ahd stewards are Working under an award w'hich has a considerable period to run, and this pro* vides for ten hours a day. No applica' tion has been received by the Urtion Company for the reduction of hours to eight, POSitiOlJ ON THE WAHISfE. INDICATIONS OF STOPPAGE. "GOING TO RUN THE SHIPS." Wellington, Last Night. It Was persistently rumored to-day that half a dozen of the stewards oil the Wahine were giving notice, but a few minutes before the vessel Sailed from Wellington to-night, Mr. Kennedy (Wellington manager for the Uniort Company) Went aboard and returned with the information that- none of the notices had yet conic to hand. The men who were said to be giving notice Were Lyttelton men, and if they gave notice just after the vessel drew away from the Wharf the requisite period of twenty-four hours would expire before the ship began its return trip. The majority of the Wahinn's men, it is stated, belong to Wellington, and if they Were leaving the vessel it would suit them best to'give notice at Lyttelton to-morrow morning The statement has been made that in addition to a bO«U9, the men are asking for an eightliOUr day, but Mr. Kpniiedy said to-day that he knew of no demand except that made for a bonus. The Union Company is very hopeful of carrying on the'usual service, even if all the cooks and stewards on the Wahine follow the lend given by their co-unionists on the Maori.' "We are going to run the ships," stated Mr. T. W. Young (secretary of the Seamen's Union), when asked what attitude the members of his miion proposed to adopt towards the cooks' and stewards' dispute with the employers Mr. Young remarked that the cooks' and stewards Wore not affiliated with the Transport Workers' Federation, and the Seamen's Union, which was affiliated, had no intention of involving the Federation in an extraneous dispute. The seamen and firemen on the Maori. Wahine and other coastal vessels had received written instructions from the union to hold themselves aloof until otherwise instructed by the union. men and tips, no Christmas" harvest. Christclmreh, Last Night. A prominent member of the Cooks' and Stewards' Union stated to-dav that the men wero particularly incensed at what had appeared in tlie newsunpers regarding tips. He said a few of the men did fairly well out of tips, but the majority received little or nothing, and had to exist on their wages. _ Another grievance was the fact that it had been announced the. vessels could sail without stewards. "We are goin" to give them the chance and sec if they can do without us," lie announced "The papers talk about the harvest of tips at this time of the year. As a*matter of fact we make less out of Christmas holiday passengers than we do at ordinary times. Thev are mostly women and children, and cheap trip, pers. Race times are our best times." The grievances mentioned by this steward are, of course, in addition to the main issue of whether they shall be paid the full £2 per month bonus or not.