THE MAPOURIKA'S FIREMEN.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14512, 19 December 1912, Page 6

THE MAPOURIKA'S FIREMEN.

It will be seen that some of the firemen in the employ of tho Union Company are again giving trouble. Tho Mapourika is being held up in "Wellington because the firemen are demanding 10s a day and 2s 6d an hour overtime for tho trip to Nelson and Picton. Mr Young, tho secretary of the Seamen's Union, says frankly enough that no doubt the men aro taking a holiday. He explains that they resent the practice of the Company "in paying off at. Christ- " mas time certain ships in order to "save a day or two's pay." It is cnly necessary to explain the facts of the position to show how unreasonable is tho attitude of tho men in this matter, and we do not believe that they will meet with any more public sympathy now than they did a few weeks ago, when there was trouble on board the Maori. It is well known that during Christmas and New Year holidays both the coalmines and tho timber mills aro shut ' down, usually for about a fortnight. It has consequently been tho custom of the Union Company to lay up during that time the coal and timber boats, for which there is no cargo. The attitude taken np by the Mapourika's men, aided and abetted, it would seem, by Mr Young, is that thc Company must continue, at very heavy expense, to run tho steamers empty, in order to keep tbo firemen employed whilo the miners and mill-hands aro taking a holiday. There is at tho present timo an tinsatisfied demand for coal, and if tho Union Company could get tho coal it is not likely they would lay up their steamers and thus lessen their earnings. It is also said that there is friction with tho firemen owing to the- Marine Department's action in witholding tho discharges of men who have failed to join their ships. Any man, it is said, '*may have the misfortune to " miss his passage." but under Section 26 of the Amended Shipping and Seamen Act, tho men are punished for '•missing their ships" by the Marino Department witholding their discharges. The men feel this keenly, it is stated, for tho chances aro then they have been logged by the ship and fined for the offence. This seems plausible on the faco'of it. "Wo fear, however, that "missins.' tho ship" is a somewhat euphemistic way of putting what actually occurs. If a man, by accident or misfortune, misses his ship most captains would make allowances and would not bo hard upon him. When firemen stay ashore drinKing and thus delay a steamer, or when, as has actually happened, they leave the vessel in spite of the protests of tho captain just on her due time of sailing, and tell him tho boat will have to wait until they havo had another drink, we fancy most, people will agree that such conduct deserves punishment, not only by fine but by witholding their discharges. In any case the Marino Department is merely carrying out the provisions of tho Act—an Act that, was largely framed for seamen's benefit.