DOWN BLUE PETER!

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1648, 15 January 1913, Page 8

DOWN BLUE PETER!

THE MAPOURIKA.

FIREMEN CONTROL POSITION.

SORELY TRIED PUBLIC. , /

MR. YOUNG THROWS ONUS ON

U.S.S. CO.

'.Tho familiar "Blue Peter"'rose on/the , foremasts of : tho ; Mapoifrika ' 'yesterday' /morning, and—like the sm'oko, from the on a, recent; occa-, sion—this,.seemed, 1 to indicate that . .the >troublo with tho firemen vtbs over pro tern. People who intended to'.make the' tross-Striiit trip, plucked up hops, but,-when 'tho evening shades ! began tomantlo'tho; : blue ; harbour, ,pno.'.could tob.pltiinlyr-that tho. little RegU-lus-arid the largerMapourika 1 were tied-up liard to-the wharves.':. Tor;: the V day'tho fireman\aiid his' unionist leaders .were- onco more masters of theipubliccpnyenience, . -..'Anchor.Steamers Well Patronised. ;,'

'• 'It was raid-day. when tho flag Was pull- ■'" ed down on;!the ;Mupoufika, and word soon .went forth "fha't,; tho/steamer'would not : lea'vo .Wellington. - fifty.;;passengers ..'; had booked'tor.various pbfts> and as'spon; '. ;as'tho decision: was made mown,// ithese ■'/sorry'members \of-Va sorely-fried pitblic . : niado haste.to" obtain passages by tho two ''rAnohor.Lino,steA.mers, which left'.Wellington'for.,N.bls<ira,last evening.; Many' ./' of tho travellers-. WctoJ Anglican clergy- . men, .who'were l en," ; i'Oiite to the. General. ■: -.Synod, which opens* at'' Nelson -to-day, and. ' several were,.compeljWd'. to 'remain:,behind ;'•'■•' could,not'earryall.th-i passengers offering.. ■ v When the Nikaudeft the wharf she was ■''.a-full / ,ship-72&i,pa'ssei;g'ers.:,:. The -.small 'iVsfeamer''Kennedy;.;wh\sh sailed/.for/'Neland -West'.Coast, ports;-was also- full •"■''6o far' as' her pnssenglr accommodation /..was concerned. '•> She took\six; Others .who ;j had intended going by. tjio Mnpoiirika to ':■'-. the West,: Coast went; south-by , the'■■Mara': ■; V -roa as far ; as;Lyttelton.. They- will reach 'their/destination by: tho overland .route.: -:-:,lt is expected:that .many, '.'ntending'.pas-• ■: 'eongers .'who ..were, left .behind .yesterday, l .-; .will go across, to Nelson-by Pateeha' ~~ and -Awaroa-tcwlay.' i~' .;.-'... J >.-; [l'-* ■'■•■■,:' ":' '. v .--,: }.'■. How 'A\n ; t S'eamen's: U At the' 'ordinary' weekly,' mee'jui'g ,'of . the .•■',: Wellington branch of 'tho Seaman's Union ; ~on Monday evening-the; positioi'.; us.it af",,foots the'Mappurika was! discussed.' The ,'.-. outcome of the-deliberations', was; a notice ■ 'posted'off-tho'union's notice.board yester- .;,: day',on' the .-wharf,; which..read;\\s ! ...fol-. ; ;^:ylows:f-':,'■ '~''';: ' ''''v--:.''''i';-;'AV \.V-;. ■■. ;v,: :, v "With'referen'co.to 'thb-Mapotfika, /";...' ..the' following ./resolution:.'.was-'uitani-:,',. ;..;. ' ■ i moUsly carried"last ■' night'.. (Moii.day) '• ; -~'; at -a 'meeting''.'of 'the union',;'viz. if- 1 ■/' ■ '.:/ ',-■;'-.- '■ 'Whereas tho.-'Mapourika'.<'has'.. lbe•Y .'',-■ come too heavy a ;6b T for one-fireman, . .. on watch, /we, consider : .; 'the health of ,'ohr.i members of- moi'e '• ,:. ■: importance .this .union rr-' : •-.// comments' to its' members and other 3 ■ ■ -f'not to seek-'-employment' onvthe Ma- ■■' /pourika: till; such* time as-'.the'Union; , ./'■■// Company ngree'-t.o;:tkb'feasonable;pro-', posal of. the /union,' tbjCngago. ah addiY,. " tional/Jiand i'lnHh© '.stokehold; ''depart-;'^' ; ■•/■'■ ■'merit,.-.wHichi'-'will:'.cost: them 'merely; i/. '~;,,an additional '.£l2: a';nipnth...in wages, \, ; ; : ond will-result iii, overcoming the pre- :,' . ;sorit difficulty. Alio that a'committee'.' 1 'of three, consisting of two men paid : - olf the 6liip"fri-day.' tend' the. secretary,' : ■ : ; be appointed 'to'-.lay; this resolution,' . ",;' ,-beforffi'ithe '•Wellington'. l Wanch.'man- i /•nger of the -Union.'. Company anddis-'-.' ■;.'-. cnsswith'Mm'the 'advisability.,of giv-..' ',-x::::'irig : effe.c i t;tp pUr;proppsat.';-:.v -; j ';/v;// ■ I V:V/svO'':':'^:''-- : '':/: i %;C-.wNG,: ; -:'' ;;; ;':,•.-'.-,.:■■.'',-;' 1' v ':' .■.''' -;'i'iViii:"Secretnry."*;r,;f '■':-. U.S.S. Co. Resolvesip,:Tie the Ship .Up,'

.' The' above-'committee waited .upon-Mr. \V. A; Kennedy, the Uniori' Company's :■ -local' manager, yesterday, and the situa- ,.■ tion was discussed. < It that when: ■;.'• tie men 'were; asked, to, specify,,in : what ■•'. : way. the .a "hard'' ship , toiwork,. they could'not give satisfactory ;' hearing the deputation at /'length;* Mr. ( Kennedy announced his de-' ;.'•.' cision, [which was .to,-,the effect :,that/the. ■'■;.'":-ilttpourika"'. could remain, tied : up to. the : ,w.harf. fb'rjiitri'ihdennito period.before/ his ■ company/would give way to theldemaiuls .': of tho union; ''."■;•■ '.'■■' ■-' ./.'i'-,/---"/: ■;-■/'■.'. : . Mr. YoiirJEj'Jo'rj-the Public Convenience. / ' When ,i seen;, yesferday-vcoricerning the '%,!'situation; 'Mr;'Young/saidli.'-'AVcll, things are just the.same as they 'were, and the .!".'ilap.'.:i3Mi*d up, and: there she'..will:reV //main as 'long as, the -extra man .is:/not : : pnt;into : hen"'■"■;'('"'; /.• \i '..■i';..'v-.'' i ■■■■■ ,: /If the .[Union/ Company 'had, recornmis- • : 6ioned the To' Anati, would a. crew have ;•'• ■ been'TavaUabk for...her? - asked .the re- '; porter. ,'.-/' ; l ■*•■'■>. '■.'; ■ •■'■' •/■'• - ; !;'■•::/'' :■ •. ■'■■.' "Yes, ■■ certainlyi" ■ replied ;Mr. >■ Young. '.-■,' "If the'Unidn''Camr)any. wduld place tho, ■ ' TeAnau in the Tun there, would, be no . troubloan : getting '.'a crew: for' her.":' Our ••■' trouble is'.not/,with...the Te, Anail; it '.is ~: tho, Mapourika' we object'.to '-under pre*. •; -sent conditions;' ''r J ul ■■■■:•■ w -':..,; ''"„' " ■.■' -, ' "There has been alot.; of :■ talk' about the :■/. firemen 'pub-' lie of Into," Mr; Young continued, "but V" they,can't blame us this time. There is \ the.To Anau doing nothing, and the men ....are'-quite willing to go in her. In my .-V opinion',-:, jt is the Union Company who ; are inconveniencing. the publics-hot us.". •.The whole 'of the remaining members .■/of the crew of, the .Mapourika have been • 'given 21: hours'notico to leave the ship," ./'nndtbey will .sign offthe articles' to-day.. .'•/• ;Th6 number of men affected, in addition to' the- eight men .in the stokeliold^nh'd ■;•' .engine room, "are seven able seamen, one ■'/ [ordinary, seaman, and. 18 stewards'.'; and '■".•, cooks.:"..:•;!'■..•'''■'" "'':'■ '*■■■.. ■''•'ii,i' Mr; Kennedy informed -.a] reporter/ that the workof taking.'ouUthe! vessel's stores, • etc., would be commenced' this morning, : 'and s'he.viould then : bo "tied up" inde-. ' ■ .finitely;,... : 'm. V£**Zf7J^iZ&Z,%£rX