THE SEAMEN'S STRIKE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 233, 2 October 1925, Page 5

THE SEAMEN'S STRIKE.

.(To the Editor.-) Sir.— May I, through voir columns, correct the impression o: your correspondent. "New Ze-lind " that few ot the seamen on strik> in Auckland, who were seen by him marching through the streets the other day with banners inscribed "Heroes. 1014 —Slave*. d9_*>."" saw service at sea during the war? The facts are otherwise. The majority did, and it would not be a matter of any _reat diffioultv to obtain proof of this. Every man possesses a discbarge book, in which entries are made at the conclusion of each voyage. I can also assure "New Zealand" that a large proportion of the men have a wife and family dependent on them, and very few do not contribute to the support of someone at Home. At the present moment the "heroes of 1014." as your correspondent describes those older men who served for the war period in the mercantile marine, are lined up with the younger minority, striking ajrninst a wage reduction, which, rightly or wron<dv. they do not consider justified. I am? etc.. ' RADIO. ITO the K-;::or.i Sir.—The letter from your correspomlont. "New Zealand." under the heading "The Seamen's Strike."" would have been written with very little forethought ami scant attention :to values. I agree that the inscription '■ mi the banner nf the parading strikers. I was. to say the least, extravagant, but there certainly was some decree of ' heroism required in anyone going to sea iin merchantmen in the days of intense ! submarine warfare, even if they were i paid £1"> per month. We have to remem- | lier that -eamon and stokers were as ; vitally necessary as the soldier who was risking his all for .">/ per diem. The heroic fights waged against terrible (dds by some of our ill-armed merchantmen are too fresh in our memories to allow his taunt about irresponsibles i t.> pass unchallenged. "New Zealand" ! raises a very nice -point of debate when [he writes: "It seems to mc that the [commercial prosperity of nations to-day is at the mercy of irresponsibles." He should remember that every sort of prosperity was at the mercy of these same irresponsibles durinjr the currency of the war. They were true to their trust, and. in the event of another war. 1 have no doubt they would be the same 'again. "New Zealand's" remedy would be to fill these positions with "rorponI -rihle" persons, but I think if everyone iwould work to inculcate the spirit of i Rotary, of reason, and the spirit of I Christ and its negation of self-interest. i labour unrest would he a tiling unheard j of.—l am. etc.. CHARLES BAILEY.