PASSENGERS AS STEWARDS

Evening Star, Issue 17926, 23 March 1922, Page 4

PASSENGERS AS STEWARDS

CHINESE CREW DESERTS SHIP. SHIPPING STRIKE AT HONGKONG. Owing to the striko on the waterfront in China, passoingers and officers oh the Eastern and Australian Line steamer St. Albans, now at Victoria dock, were obliged to act as their own stewards on a portion of the voyage to Australia. Passengers had to clean their own cabins. Tho engineers (says the Sydney ‘ Telegraph ’) were obliged to take their turn in the stokehold.- as no firemen were available, and the docks and ■saloons were washed by tho officers, who also prepared tho meals. .Tho Cantonese crow left the steamer on arrival at Hongkong, and on tho day on which unloading operations were completed the wharf laborers were called out, with the result that the cargo booked to Australia on tho steamer had to bo left on tho .wharves. After great difficulty a number of Ningpoo boys, who are said to he at variance with tho Cantonese, were brought to Hongkong from Northern China by a P. and O. steamer, and placed on board tho St. Albans. In tho early hours of the morning tho St. Albans crept out of port and wont to Manila, where a number of Philippines were engaged as stewards. While tho ship was in port at Hongkong an armed guard of Indians was placed on the wharf to prevent tho strikers from boarding tho steamer, and it was only by a clever ruso that tho Ningpoo boys were smuggled aboard. At,,Sydney .white ,men were, engaged to assist tho new crew, and they will travel back to China on the steamer. Officers -of the St. Albans said yesterday that the striko had a very serious effect on shipping in Hongkong. There wore about 150 ships idle in po-t when the St. Albans loft, and violence was feared, as the Chineso had no regard for life when fighting for a cause. Tho Chinese were receiving about £4 a month, and were now demanding £4 Ss. Tho following politely-worded circulars were forwarded' to tho masters of steamers in port at Hongkong at the outbreak of tho striko by tho representatives of tho Seamen’s Union:

We seamen, serving on board various steamers, in view of the cost of living, have repeatedly written bur boss requesting him to favor us with an increase. _ Not having been ablo to arrive at a satisfactory result, we have at last turned our tendency to the seeking of some other profession within.twenty-four hours of the above date. Another circular stated: To drop the matter at this stage is out of tho question, as it would mean waste of tho tremendous labor involved in framing the petition, and reflect upon the resolution. At all events, the arrow is in the bowstring, and should be discharged. Can tho rider of a running horse on the field give up his whip?