HOLD-UP OF SHIPS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24932, 20 July 1946, Page 6

HOLD-UP OF SHIPS

CLAIMS FOR LIGHT AND HEAT

SPECIAL TRIBUNALS MEETING

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, July . 19. The possibility that a number of coastal ships will rerhaih in port at Auckland and Ohehunga for an evdn longer period, was predicted in many quarters to-day when advice was received from Wellington from the National Council of the Seamen’s Union that a special tribunal would jn Wellington next week to consider the claims of seamen for the continuous heating and lighting of coastal vessels while ih port. , . It is considered that few of the 11 ships now held at Auckland and Onehunga will hot sail, but. that ptKers may wait for the tribunal io meet. POSITION UNCHANGED At GREYMOUTH

FORT UNWORKABLE From Our Own Reporter

GREYMQUTH, July 19. After a meeting this morning, the crews of the four vessels held up..at the port of Greymouth because of the dispute over the lighting and heating of crews’ quarters an Coastal vessels, again reiused to put to sed; but, in dny case, the vessels could not have sailed because of a considerable swell on the bar, which developed dverfiight and ha s again made the port unworkableThe mCn appear aejamarit in their decision not to put to sea, in 3i>ite of the fact that they have received instructions from the Seamen’s Unibh to ptit to sea in the meantime. The Vessels held up are the Poblta, Gabliella, Hoimiea, and Fostton. The latter is lodded with timber fOt Paitea, but has now missed the spring tides ahd will probably have to be diverted. The cargo of the other .hree boats includes Coal Urgently needed in the North Island. where, shortages of gas ahd electricity are threstehhd. A spokesman for engineers on the Holmlea said to-day that there wds.no dissension between the crews and the engineers, who were abiding by the decision of the tribunal and providing lighting and heating up to 11 o’clock at night.

SEAMEN’S STATEMENT

A statement outlining their position in the shipping strike has been made by representatives of the crews of ships held at Greymouth. It states that the dispute about heating and light on coastal vessels dated back to pre-war years. An improvement was promised by shipping companies m 1935. but was put off year after year until war broke out, when the Companies stated that because of the War material could hot be. obtained.. The seamen then waived their claims because of patriotic principles until after the war. It had bfeen ascertained that materials were now readily Obtainable at negligible cost to shipping Companies and harbour boards epneerned. The ffi,en say that the strike will continue until a definite announcement is made by the. authorities concerned that the repeated- requests for heating and lighting of ships in port Will bO met While coastal vessels are in port, it was stated, electric power was obtainable only when the dynamo was running, that was during the day time when cargb was beitig handled. At night most ships were lighted by kerosene larfips, and it was not possible to feed into the ships electric power from the shore supply because most ships operated on 110 volts direct current, while shore supply was of 240 volts, alternating current. The position as regarded heating was much the same. When steam was not being used for handling cargo, there was no heating in the vessels. By using transformers, the shore supply could be transformed into 110 volts, direct, current, into a ship’s reticulation system. That being done, electric light, and heat would be available to all ships while in port. The seamen were therefore asking that such transformers be supplied.

ships still Held up AT WESTPORT From Our Own Reporter GREYMOUTH t July, 19. After a fiirther meeting of seamen st Westport to-day concerning the heating and lighting of crews’ quarters. it was announced that the position remained unchanged. There was a big sea running on the harbour entrance this morning, and if the crews had been prepared to take their ships to sea they would not have been able to do so. DISPUTE MAY AFFECT COAL OUTPUT From Oui Own Reporter

WESTPORT*, July 19. Coal production in the Charleston area may be limited if an early settlement is not reached in the shipping dispute. as the hopper waggons used for shipping purposes are all filled m the railway yards at Westport, and the supply of flat waggons available is not large enough to cope with the daily output of more than 2000 tons frbm the various mines in the Buller district. It is almost certain that any nat . waggons available will be utilised in the carriage of bituminous coals to the east coast. The Westport Coal Company hgs ample storage space for its Millerton and Denniston coal, which cannot be railed through to the east coast for a few days, but when this space is filled production from the two mines WiU.be affected. The Stockton State mine.nSs not the same storage space as the Westport Coal Company, and there is a possibility that production, both from the underground and open-cast sections of the mine, will be seriously affected if waggons are not available for the iifimediate transportation of coal to the east coast, or if the shipping dispute is not settled shortly.