FERRY SERVICE RESUMED.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14821, 12 November 1913, Page 11

FERRY SERVICE RESUMED.

PATEENA AND MAPOURIKA RUNNING.

WITH VOLUNTEER CREWS

Tho disorganisation of the LytteltonWellington ferry service has been regarded with quiet satisfaction by the strikers.

After the "hold-up" of the Maori last Wednesday, the Mapourika mado one trip from Wellington and the Maunganui two, while the little Queen of the South made a round trip with mails only. ASTONISHMENT IN PORT. When it was announced on Monday that tho Pateena was being placed in the ferr3' service, the news was received with incredulity by many of the strikers who confidently predicted that she would not be able to ship a crew. It was with considerable astonishment that they learned yesterday morning that the Pateena had left Wellington, manned by masters, officers, and engineers. It was a thing unheard of, and many of them did not like it. It showed that firemen, in this case at all events, could be done without. It might be that some of the deck-hands ' would find it strange .to take . their wheel or look-ont. and that some of the "black squad" might find their hands a little soft to start with, and their muscles unaccustomed to the work of handling shovel, rake or slice. But it was a game crew, and what it lacked in manual dexterity, it made up for by willingness. A SIGHT WORTH SEEING. The coming of the Pateena was a redletter event in the history of tho strike, and her arrival in port created keen interest, and attracted a great crowd to the wharf. The eight of masters and mates making the ship fast under the orders of other masters and mates was a sight worth seeing, and tho watcrfsiders and the masters and officers of tho ships laid up at Lyttelton feasted their oyes on the unique spectacle.

Tho Pateena arrived at Lyttelton at 12.46 p.m., and her passengers and mails left by special train for Christchurch shortly afterwards. The steamer needed bunker coal. A hulk was hauled alongside, and Boon the permanent hands of the Union Co.'s, shore staff were hard at it getting tho coal on board.

STRIKERS DISAPPOINTED,

A HOSTILE DEMONSTRATION

The arrival of the Patoena was the first bitter pill that the strikers ■ in. Lyttelton have had to swallow since the start of the strike. With them on the wharf were a large number of out-of-work firemen and seamen, and as the Pateena came up to the wharf there was a running fire of comment, humorous, sarcastic, bitter and otherwise.

"The experts ought to get her alongside all right,' there's enough of 'em," said one.

"They're wasting water," said another, indicating the blow off of steam from the escape pipe.

The Pateena was .signalled to berth at the west side of the wharf, but she shot past the eastern corner, while mooring lines were got ashore. The little steamer, which had been laid up; at "Wellington for some weeks, showed £hat she had been taken out of the hands of the shore staff and hurriedly re-commissioned. Everywhere she showed signs that an extensive refit had been in. progress and left unfinished. She had a very unkempt appearance, and the notice board, warning workmen and others that the vessel was being overhauled, and to beware of deck openings, had not been taken down. But she had filled tho bill for the ferry service. She was crowded with passengers, no loss than "314 being on board.

Captain .Lambert, late of the Arahura, and tone of the oldest servants of the Union Company, was in command, and with him on the bridge as third officer was one who had served in that capacity on the Wahine until she was laid up. The mate was the well-known skipper of one of the company's colliers, and his deckhands were officers from various ships. When the stern line of the Pateena was got ashore, and the vessel started to go astern on her engines, the bitter spirit of many of the strikers manifested itself. Owing to the crowd on deck it was very difficult for the second mate to get in the slack of the line, the bight of which was on the wator and very close to the propeller. "I hope ehe gets it fouled," yelled one striker. "That'll tie her up all right," called another, and eoveral almost jumped with impatience to see the rope get foul. For a moment it seemed as if the rope really had been caught by the blades of the propeller, and then a yell of delight went up from some of the men, only to be cut short.when the rope came up clear of the water. The Pateena backed round the end of the wharf and went astern for some thne. Sho went so far up the wharf that some of the crowd imagined that she was over-running her distance, and yelled delightedly, "She'll be up to the post office soon." But Captain Lambert knew his business, and with his willing crew hauling manfully on ropes and wire springs, soon had his ship fast.

The mate, who has a healthy reputation for the vigour of his personality and-his ilanguage, faced the jeering crowd with a good-humoured smile on his strong face. He is credited with being an utterly fearless man, and he looked down on the mob and answered their shouting with short, but pithy, retorts. "Well, what's wrong with you, Ginger?" he cuttingly enquired of a burly seafaring man on the wharf. Some of the crowd expressed great indignation at this remark, as if strong language were absolutely unknown on their tongues. They were very bitter against tho skipper-mat«. "You'll be in.the Casualty Ward before long," they assured him. "And ten of you will come with mc, he replied. "Three cheers for the seamen and firemen," called someone in the crowd. These were given. "Three cheers for the 'eoabby , officers," was the next call, and it was responded to with two hocrte. ''Wait till they want us to oerae eufc in (Tjmpathy with them," darklr hinted one fireman. '*w© won't cosneout for 'scabs, , " replied several of- his mates. Meanwhile the passengers were pouring ashore, and the luggage sad mails Were being landed, while the hulk was hauled alongside for coaling. One of the velunteers infermftd a "Press" reporter that some ten. officers and six engineers had signed on in toe Pateena, and that the engineers were being assisted in the stokehold &v a number of front Wellington. Most of these their first trip to sea, but they bad shaped remarkably well and, had.done spleWid work. The ship hadl had a record number of passengers, aodthey accepted the position in the «*# «P ir "» only four stewards- Tho officer etatea

that the Mapourika was similarly manned, and the volunteers were determined to "see the thing through," and to resist any interference by strikers STRIKERS ATTEMPT TO BO\RD PATEENA. After the train with the passenjrers had left for Chnstchurch, a movement on the part of several of the strikers on the wnarf hinted at possibilities, and a moment or two later somewhat determined attempts were made to board the vessel. They wero easily repelled by tho police. STRIKERS' PRESIDENT INVESTIGATES. A large number ol the strikers then gathered at the main gangway, and Mr l< , . Lurch, their President, asked permission to go on board in order to interview thu men who were to coal tho ship from tne hulk. Mr Watkins, marine superintendent, informed Mr Lurch that he could have permission to go aboard and interview the men, provided the strikers promised to make no demonstration after the result of tho interview was made known.

MR LURCH'S DISCOVERY

" 'SCABS' SINCE ONE DAY OLD."

With some reluctance the desired promise was given, and Mr Lurch was Allowed on board. He returned within a minuto to the wharf with n doleful countenance, and addressing the strikers said: — "Look hero, men, it's no good. I've interviewed those fellows, and they admit that they have been 'scabs' since they were one day old, and they say they aro going to remain 'scabs' for the rest of their lives." This announcement was greeted with vigorous hooting, and a proposal was made to "rush the shin." Mr Lurch and others, however, reminded the militants of the promise given not to make a demonstration, but a few of the more militant spirits werenot satisfied with this, and a .proposal was then mooted to cast off the vessel's mooring lines from the wharf. About a couple of dozen strikers started to patrol th« length of the ship while the others looked on. The officers of the boat and tho police, however, had, in the meantime, been warned. A sharp look-out was kept on the actions of those on the wharf, and tho demonstration fizzled out

The Pateena then eased off a few feet from the wharf, and began coaling.

After tho incident early in the afternoon matters were very quiet in Port, and but for the pickets at the wharf where the Pateena was berthed there was practically no one about. The strikers held a meeting in their hall during the greater part of the afternoon, presumably in connexion with the departure of the vessel at night. There was a rumour in Lyttelton during the afternoon that tho stewards on the Pateena had struck, but a "Press'» representative was informed that there was absolutely no truth in the statement.

The officers and crew of the Pateena took matters very philosophically.

RACEHORSES SHIPPED. All yesterday afternoon the Pateena shipped coal from tho coal hulk the Union Company's permanent hands loyally keeping to their task, despite tho hostility of the strikers, many of whom lounged about the wharf watching the coaling operations, but no verbal comment was made.

At about 4.30 p.m. tho vessel was brought to tho wharf and four racehorses were shipped aboard without any trouble.

The vessel then returned to her former position a few feet from the wharf, and resumed coaling operations. THE STEWARDS. The Pateona cam 6 down a little short of etewards, but this matter was remedied yesterday afternoon, a number of stewards from the Maori being taken on.

efforts have- been made in Wellington by Mr W. T. Young and other- officers of the Federation of Labour to get the stewards employed by the Union Steam Ship Company to leave their ships, ;but without _ avail. The stewards are not affiliated with the Seamen's Union, but have a separate union of their own registered under the Arbitration Act.