ANOTHER DISPUTE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 9 March 1928, Page 5

ANOTHER DISPUTE

MANUKA HELD UP. TROUBLE OVER FIREMAN. SHIP DELAYED AT DUNEDIN. (BY TRLfiGBAPB —PRESS ASSOCIATION . I DUNEDIN, March B.* Dissatisfaction among the crew of the Union Company’s .steamer Manuka owing to the services of a fireman being dispensed with, resulted in the vessel fing unable to sail to-night for Bluff and Melbourne. The man was given notice to sign off the ship’s articles on her arrival at Dunedin shortly before 1 p.m. to-day from Melbourne, via ports. The remainder of the crew took exception to this and the Union Company was unable to l secure a man to fill the vacancy, although there are a larg9 number of. firemen ashore here. The company then had no alternative but to give the crew 24 hours’ notice of the termination of their services and the men will be paid off to-morrow. The Manuka had over 190 passengers on board this evening. An additional 80 passengers are booked to join the ship at Bluff, so that over 270 people are placed in an awkward predicament.

When it was announced that the departure of the Manuka had been post, poned indefinitely, the Dunedin passengers came ashore and returned to their homes. The passengers from Melbourne, Wellington and Lyttelton remained on hoard to-night, hoping that the ship will sail to-morrow.

i lie inconvenience to the passengers is all the more annoying owing to the fact that there is no other steamer leaving New Zealand this week for Australia, the intercolonial service having been disorganised owing to the Ulimaroa- being help up at Sydney. The plight of the Manuka is accentuated owing to the fact that practically all the accommodation on the Marama, to leave Wellington on March 1.6 for Sydney, has been hooked.