“ON THEIR DIGNITY.”

Evening Star, Issue 15076, 7 January 1913, Page 2

“ON THEIR DIGNITY.”

THE MAORI’S FIREMEN. ANOTHER STEAMER. IDLE. SOME OMINOUS THREATS. [Special to the Star.] WELLINGTON, January 6. “No boat for Lyttelton to-night," was the disappointing notice chalked upon a wharf shed near the usual berth of the ferry steamer Maori this evening. The turbine flier herself lay at a wharfou the far side of Lambton Harbor, where ships under repair usually find a quiet haven, away from the stream of traffic. Instead of clearing up difficulties, .as the Union Commanager anticipated last night, the position became more acute to-day, the To Anau now being tied up idle, while an ominous threat 'has gone forth that the Monowai and Mapourika will follow suit, too, if they are diverted to the Lyttelton nm in place of tho Maori. —Serious Position Developing.— It is quite evident that a serious position is developing. “We shall have to consider paying off the rest of tho Maori's crow,” declared Mr Kennedy, the Wellington manager of tho company to your representative this evening during a‘'discussion of tho situation on the wharf. “ Here is the position in a nutshell,” he continued. “We cannot get a crew for the Maori’s stokehold. The Tc Allan’s firemen ha.ve also left the ship, and the Mapourika.’s crow inform us that if wo divert her to Lyttelton they will give notice, there to leave the ship in 24 hours, so the Mapourika will go on her usual nm to the West Coast tomorrow, and we cannot carry passengers to Lyttelton to-night.” —No Big Grievance.— “ Is there some bigger gnevn.nco behind this demand for an apology?’’ I asked the shipowners’ representative." He answered positively in tho negative. “They had a meeting this afternoon, and decided to adhere to their original decision to crucify the man who gave the information. They ha.ve no other grievance except this paragraph about their alleged demand for extra wages. They make no complaint about woiking conditions. The fact is it is not a fight with the company, but a fight between the firemen and the public ” “ Have you offered extra wages to resume work?” “No,” replied “Mr Kennedy ; “ the firemen have not asked for it.”

—ln the Firemen’s Quarters.—

With an idea that something more than injured dignity lay at the back of tho firemen's “ hold-up,” your representative visited the firemen’s quarters on the Te Anau to see why they were going to join their idle colleagues on the wharf. It might be explained straight, away that no hidden grievances were uncovered. “We are not going to go back on our mates,” said one of the To Anau’s brawny stokehold men. “ But why take it out of tho public and the company because the Tress Association offended?” was the query put to one of them. He admitted that the position was hard to justify, but urged that the firemen must stand together. “ Here’s a funny thing about it,” ho continued. “ The chaps over there (with a nod toward the seamen’s quarters) are in the same union and are standing by tho ship as happy as sandboys. They swear they’d fire tho ship to Lyttelton if the law would let. them, but what sort of a tine would we firemen get if we went back on our mates in tho Maori?” It seemed that a representative of the Maori's firemen had visited the. ship during tho day with an urgent appeal for assistance- in the effort to uphold their dignitv, ’’ this being the actual phrase used. ■ —The Union’s Responsibility.— Though the Seamen’s Union are not officially behind the Maori’s firemen in their action, the Wellington secretary (Mr Loung) is naturally taking an active interest in the whole affair. His attitude can be best gauged by his reply to a question as lo what advice bo gave the Te Anau’s firemen prior to their censing work ro-day. “I told them they had run their notices out, and they could legally leave me ship, but I was not. going to advise them whether to leave or otherwise.”

Mr Young explained that the Maori’* Bremen had acted within the law in leaving as they had done, because the requisite notice was given. He was asked if any larger questions of working conditions or pay arc bound up with the protest,, and answered negatively. “We have an apology signed by the acting manager of the Press Association, but wo want one signed by the man who caused this report to be circulated. I have notified the Union Company that any attempt to divert the Monowoi to Lyttelton will result in the Monowai’s men giving notice.” So far the dispute is absolutely narrowed down to the ferry service. Xo difficulty was experienced in getting live firemen for the Union Company's collier Koonya today. —Volunteer Crews ; A Legal Difficulty.— . A suggestion appeared in the ‘Post-’ on •Saturday that the difficulty might have been overcome by a “masterly’- move,” a call for volunteer firemen from the hundreds of people anxiously waiting to travel south, but the idea did not assist the shipping people, who knew all about the law, and the 1 Post ’ unreservedly withdraws it to day as quits impracticable. It expla ins : " When we referred to the need of a ' masterly move ’ our impression was that a volunteer crew (including ‘learners") could have been secured, but the law, primarily for the protection of tho public, docs not allow the wholesale engagement of men who are not qualified as firemen under the. Act. Thus a law made ostensibly for the public welfare has been turned against the public by the hotheaded firemen. The case forcibly suggests that such arbitrary procedure" without proper notice demands an amendment of the law to_ authorise the employment of volunteers (without certificates) in'a special emergency, such as the one that occurred, with the Maori. The sticklers for “dignity” are doing their utmost to promote that «mendment.”