MAUI POMARE

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 14, 16 July 1936, Page 10

MAUI POMARE

HOLD-UP ENDS

OFFICER GOES ASHORE

MINISTER'S, PART

Had it not been for the intervention of the Minister of Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) yesterday, the Government motor-ship Maui Pomarc might still be tied up at the wharf at Wellington. As it was, the vessel was held up for twenty-four hours owing to trouble concerning two members' of the crew. The ship sailed at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon without the chief officer, who preferred to take- shore leave rather than sail with the two members of the crew : who had been given notice of dismissal.

In explaining this sornewhal unusual happening today, the Minister of Labour said the trouble started on Tuesday morning on account of.two deck hands—one a youth—having been dismissed by the chief oGicer. The crew took exception to the dismissals and refused to sail without them.

"I was made aware of the position at 10 o'clock on Tuesday night," said Mr. Armstrong. "It "was then too late to do anything, but "I visited the ship before 8 o'clock on. Wednesday morning. I met the crew and talked over the situation witli .them. I also met the captain and first officer and 1 made an appeal to all pprties to take the ship to sea on account of the fact that Mr. O. F. Nelsfcn and his party were, on board and that special preparations tad been made for their reception in Samoa. I also made it known that the Minister of Marine (the Hon. P. Fraser) was absent in the South Island.

"In the first plac« I asked the men to forget about thes trouble and take the ship away and see how they got on in the future. I had'no time to go into the rights and wrongs of the case. There was no time to make an investigation—2lll I was concerned with at the moment was getting the ship 'away.

OFFICER'^ ATTITUDE.

"The first ofnc«E was very determined and said that as far as he' was concerned he was prepared to leave the ship and in no circumstances would he sail with thy two men concerned He pointed out that he had done what he considered the right thing, but at the same time he did not wish to embarrass the Government, but he felt he could not porsibly submit to sailing

with the two men. In order to get the ship away, .'however, he would not implicate his fellow-officers and would be willing to 5.0 ashore and stand off for a trip."' Mr. Armstrong said that he saw that I that would bit a temporary solution of the problem only. He saw the two men again ami told them to go back to the ship a:nd say nothing to anybody. He was under the impression that everything was fixed for the ship to sail at 11 a.m. yesterday, but it appeared that one of the men had gone to the 'captain about his future employment iand a further misunderstanding arosie. The . whole proceedings had to be gone over again. In the meantime^ the officers had met and had decided to stand behind their

fellow-officer and they intimated that they would not sail with the two men who had cansed the trouble.

The Minister said he had to find the two men ag.'ain and he had travelled all over the city in a motor : car looking for thcin. He eventually . found them and there was another meeting with the cri2\v. He then took the men to the captain and they came to an understanding. :

"I made-; no stipulation,", said MrArmstrong. ''I told the men I did not know whafc would happen on this trip or on anj- other trip, but that the Minister of Marine would take the question up. The officers took up a determined attitude and said that much as they disliked holding up the ship i they felt they must stand by the chief I officer. ,

A FINE ATTITUDE.

"After .arguing the matter out," con- ] tinued the Minister, "the chief officer ] took up a. very fine attitude. He joined with me in an appeal to the officers to take the ship to sea as it was a trip of special importance. He said they would not be sacrificing any principle; as far as he was concerned and he would take time off. After a little vj hile they decided by resolu- | tion thsit, out of consideration for the Minister and owing to the fact that the Minister of Marine was not in Wellinjfton, they had decided to comply and take the ship away. .

"I diid not argue whether the officers were justified or whether the men were justified. The men went back unconditionally, and the chief officer went ashore."