TROUBLE ON THE TROOPSHIPS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2242, 31 August 1914, Page 7

TROUBLE ON THE TROOPSHIPS

■ ; ;; MEN REFUSE DUTY ■ : GRIEVANCE AIRED JN COURT 1 Twenty-two -seamen,;, firemen, : \ and triramors from the.troopships'Orafi and Tihnonck' filed into the , Magistrate's Court on Saturday morning,- charged vith refusing to obey the lawful commands or their superior officers. Their refusal to obey duty, as explained in 'I'he Dominion on" Saturday, followed upon the fact that the accused, being under Home articles, were receiving a lower rate of .pay than the men-em , - , ployed on rue intercolonial vessels which ■ are being converted .into troopships. The names of the twenty-two accused who appeared; before Mr. D. G. A Croper, S:M., were" as follow:—Charles Sullivaa Sydney John ' Clayton, and Robert '-Wight from ,the Limerick: Tim>thy Sullivan, Robert Patrick Harris, . Joseph Parry, George Minnjs, Albert Martin,; Matthew Ovington, James Samuel Reid, : Fitzherbert Weeks, John Best; Thomas Alexander Pell, Jtiohard Charles Wilson, Joseph Elston, "Charles Leetch, William Wood, Frederick Badcliffe, Daniel Hays, Richard Evett, .., George William Newman, George Burrows, and Henry Cable from the Orari. Mr. J. F. W. Dickson appeared.for oil of the above, Mr. M. Myers for tho owners of the Orari, and Mr. A. W. Blair for the owners of the Limericlc. \- "■■'. ."-,'.' Mr. Dickson applied for an adjournment, and said that the attitude taken up by the men was purely from a legal" point of view. -They contended that the old articles had become non-existent ; as their ships" had. been converted into troopships,, and any articles signed in the Old Country had no application to the present circmnstances. If the owners admitted 'that new articles would have to bo ,signed, the men would be quite willing to go back to their ships and resume duty until thelegal argument had been heard.' ! Mr. Myers replied that ho was not prepared to make any such admission. The articles were good and valid. What'own change might be required when.

the vessels sailed was quite another tnattoT. The men were in court ior refusal to do duty, and this , they had absolutely no right to do. There was a tremendous amount of work to be done on the troopships, and the action of the men had caused great inconvenience. Mr. Myers added that there was every reason to believe that the ma-, jority of these men had not been cte« eiroua of refusing duty. It was eventually decided to adjourn fcho cases for legal argument at 2.18 p.m. to-day, on the understanding that if the Magistrate held that the men had acted unlawfully they wouldplead guilty, while in the meantime they were to return to their ships aid obey orders. , ■' . ..., '" ' ■ One of the accused, Walter Burrows, was further charged with desertion from the Orari. Hf> was remanded until Tuesday, bail being allowed in the sum of £20. .... ■ ...' .:.■.-