COASTAL SHIPS HELD UP

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 14370, 21 May 1947, Page 3

COASTAL SHIPS HELD UP

URGENT NEED FOR SEAMEN

CARGOES FOR OVERSEAS DELAYED P.A. Wellington, May 20. Urgent appeals to seamen to present themselves at the Wellington labour bureau to fill vacancies on several coastal ships which are held up in Wellington by crew shortages were made today by the secretary of the Shipowners’ Federation, Mr G. H. Norman.

Due to sail for Patea last Friday, the South Taranaki' 11 Shipping Company vessel Inaha was still lacking several able seamen today. Owned by the same company, the Tivoa, which was to sail for Patea today, was also unable to leave port because of crew shortages. Both ships, while carrying general cargo, bring large amounts of foodstuffs from the west coast of the North Island for transhipment to vessels loading for Britain. The Holm Company vessel Holmlea picked up a crew on Monday. She was still short of two able seamen today, but the company officials were hoping to get the extra hands before sailing time tomorrow. The present shortage of ships trading between Wellington and Dunedin is largely the cause of the lack of cereal breakfast foods in Wellington. Varying reasons were put forward today to account, for the present shortage of seamen. Several ships trading to the Pacific isla.nds and the west coast of the United States have picked up large crews recently. Another reason put forward in shipping) circles was the high wages and good conditions offering ashore at the present time.