SEAMEN'S STRIKE ECHO.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 17, 21 January 1926, Page 9

SEAMEN'S STRIKE ECHO.

RETTTRN OF VOLtTNTEERS. STRONG DISSATISFACTION" EXPRESSED. An echo of the recent strike of British seamen, which disorganised shipping in New Zealand waters for some weeks, was heard when the Arawa arrived from England this morning with twenty-two of the volunteer crew aboard. The men have come back to New Zealand with unpleasant views of the treatment accorded them. They were unanimous that if there was another strike tomorrow not one of them would again volunteer. The returned volunteers were seen by a "Star" representative on board the Arawa this morning. The men, who are from Taranaki. Wellington, Christchurch, and Hawke's Bay. describe the conditions a3 wretched. Thpre was a full complement of firemen, all of whom were volunteers, except one man, who was being deported. The volunteers who acted as firemen express the utmost dissatisfaction at their treatment. "The quarters are a positive disgrace,' , said one of the men. "There were thirty men eating and sleeping in a place that was not fit for human beings. It was so bad that some men would be having meals while the others were sleeping, and it was not possible for a man to get a decent sleep. The conditions in the stokehold were disagreeable in the extreme." Referring to the 6anitary conditions, the men were outspoken against the arrangements made for their comfort. The washing and other conveniences, which were seen by the "Star" representative, were decidedly inadequate. A man coming from the stokehold after a weary shift would have to walk to a tap above the stokehold, get a bucket of hot water, and return to what was known as the "bathroom," but which, in reality, is only a small space wherein the men have no means of washing but the bucket of water. There are showers but the plunge bath is conspicuous by its absence. The stewards were little better circumstanced. Upon arrival in England there was no representative of the New Zealand Government to meet the men as promised. There were one or two ugly moments at the wharf when over 1000 British seamen gathered and showed pointad resentment at the appearance of the New Zealanders. The company had undertaken to return the volunteers as third class passengers but they alleged they were not allowed to use the third class bathroom, nor were they given any soap, but were told that the supply had run out. There was no sugar and a small square of butter was all that was allowed to sixteen people. The sanitary arrangements were objectionable, while the food was of the poorest. While it was understood, that they ■were to come back as third class passengers, in reality they were treated like the crew. On the trip over they were not allowed to mix with the passengers, and, on one occasion, were refused permission to attend a I concert on board. But coming back the crew were allowed to mingle with the passengers, and the reason for this distinction was not explained. "Because three men who had left the vessel at Colon, had done something the captain disapproved of," said one of the men. "he did not recognise any of us on the journey back." "We are all agreed that never again will we volunteer," said one of the men. "We did not expect a bed of feathers, but we did expect decent treatment and conditions that were conducive to a minimum of comfort. Why the captain and officers should have treated us so cavalierly we do not know, but every man deeply regrets that he volunteered."