SURPRISE MOVES

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 17, 20 January 1921, Page 8

SURPRISE MOVES

MANUKA'S STEWARDS GIVE NOTICE AND WITHDRAW IT.

A surprise move was mad 1© by the stewards of the Manuka at Lytteltoni yesterday morning. According to a Press' Association message from Christ-church, when the vessel arrived from Wellington at 9.10 o'clock, the men gave twenty-four hours' notice to leave the vessel. This notice expired when the Manuka arrived back at Wellington this morning, but, contrary to expectations, the stewards did not at once leave the vessel.

This afternoon, the Union Company officials stated that, following the. intervention of Mr. R. T. Bailey, of the Labour. Department, the stewards' had withdrawn their notice.

The Press Association message from Ohristchurch last night states that the men are on the New Zealand intercolonial »rticles, and are quite within their rights in giving notice. They did not join cause with the Australian stewards when the Manuka was in Sydney recently,' but though no explanation of their action is available, it is likely that they are unwilling to cross the Tasman Sea again while the Australian strike is in progress. The Home liner Pakeha signed off 31 stewards at Lyttelton yesterday, the men having been engaged only as far as Lyttolton. When the Pakeha was signing on the- stewards at Home there wore hundreds of applications. Some of the Pakeha's men yesterday ' signed on the Manuka, but it is stated that they were not aware tliat the Manuka's stewards had "iven notice when they "signed on. They will have to make the round trip before they can sign oil.