THE MOERAKI'S CREW.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 307, 28 December 1922, Page 5

THE MOERAKI'S CREW.

ALLEGATIONS OF THE UNION. I AN INCOMPETENT LOT. CAPTAIN'S REFUTATION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) ! WELLINGTON, this day. The assistant-secretary of the Seamen's Union, Mr. F. C. Howell, makes the statement that the eeamen and firemen on the Moeraiki are not competent. He states that according to J. Neill. a passenger on the Moeraki, to Auckland, there was only one competent fireman, and on Sunday, 10th. December, between 4 a.m, and 8 a.m., the ship only steamed 1J 'knots, there being only two men in the' stokehold, also the majority of the men employed as seamen could not eteer the chip, and were driven into the stokehold to assist in firing the furnaces. Passengers were appealed to and members of the English cricket team responded. The union official also publishes a signed statement made by two other passengers to similar effect. On 'being shown the statements this morning Captain Cli't, of the Moeraki, eaid that the men in' the deck department and the stokehold were all qualified. Some had not been to sea for some time, but one deck hand held a master's certificate, another a second mate's ticket, while some had been able seamen in the Royal Xavv. With Teeard to the alteration that s=«*ne of the seamen could not steer Captain Clift declared that tTiev were excellent men at the wheel and made better courses with the ship than members of the regular crew. The men were not "driven into the etokehold." The position was that two extra men were being carried on deck, and a« fhey were not required they were sent into the stokehold. It was absolutely fal«e to say that passengers were annealed to and that members of the "FnirlKh cricket team responded. The cricketers were not affced +" co into the strvkc>.nld. Cnntain Clift al*o states that durinsr the tr'-n to Auckland the ship averaged a full 11 knots Tier hour.