STILL AT WHARF

Evening Star, Issue 25701, 26 January 1946, Page 10

STILL AT WHARF

THE KATOOMBA DISPUTE ATTEMPT TO SECURE SUBSTITUTE SHIP SYDNEY, January.-25.. There is still no sign of an easing of the deadlock which has now held the liner Katoomba, with 567 passengers aboard, tied to the Sydney wharf for the past seven days.. The attitude of» the firemen .to-day was that if a call was made for 24 men to take the ship to sea she would sail, but another attempt was made to sign on only 21 firemen. Officials of the Seamen's Union told the men that they had agreed that 21 was the correct number of firemen for the ship and appealed to them to sign on. None accepted. ' " I The Passengers' Committee was approached by the firemen with the information that the wharf labourers were being asked o remove mail from the ship. A meeting of passengers was called, when it was decided to ask the firemen not to raise steam for the removal, of the mail, as the passengers considered this "the thin edge of the wedge." In actual fact, there had been no call for wharf labourers to unload the ship, as it was hoped the Katoomba would have secured firemen this morning and that -the ship would then have sailed for Wellington within 24 hours. An order was posted forbidding anyone going on the wharf without the written authority of the owners, but it was withdrawn a few hours after it was issued. Meanwhile, the Minister of Supply and Shipping, Senator Ashley, said that the Government is endeavouring to end the dispute and get the people to New Zealand by continuing its attempts to secure another ship.