SHIPPING TROUBLE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 204, 30 August 1915, Page 7

SHIPPING TROUBLE.

HUDDART PARKER BOAT STUCK UP. [Press Association.] / WELLINGTON, Aug. 28. The steamer Victoria .will be laid up. The local manager says that Huddart-Parker will not yield to the exorbitant demands of the men, and have instructed him to discharge cargo and all hands. The vessel will land here about 10GO tons of cargo destined for other New Zealand ports. The men were to-day offered £5 each, together with full wages from "Wellington to Sydney and back. This they refused. Some 32 men are involved. If a new crew can be obtained the vessel will be despatched Ho Napier, Gisborne, Auckland, and Sydney. Meanwhile Gisborne will be isolated, except for an intermediate boat. Legal proceedings against the men for striking are anticipated by the Labor Department. [The Wellington office of the Hud-. dart-Parker Company explain that «ince last year the Victoria has In-en-running between Dunedin and Auck-* land via ports, connecting nt the northern port with the Riverina for Sydney. For several reasons it was thought desirable to vary this running, and let the Victoria continue through to Sydney for two trips, while the Rive.rhia" would extend her trip to' Dunedin via ports. The firemen and sailors of the Victoria declined to take her on to Sydney unless p_aid £15 and £14 respectively "for the eight-day run from 'Wellington to Sydney, with a guaranteed passage back. They also demanded £Jo from Wellington to Auckland.' A prominent HuddartParker official said: ''The owners can only look upon this as a deliberate stick-up. There have been several -similar instances lately, such as the Westralia, Pateena, and Mararou. \n the case of the Victoria it is hard to see any excuse for such action, as she is not leaving the trade, and is: not being laid up in Sydney." On being asked for their side of the question, several members of the crew said that as the Victoria commenced her NewZealand coastal running in 1914 i'main Wellington they were quite within their rights when they gave twenty - four -hours' notice at Lyttelton on Wednesday morning, the vessel having completed ;i round trip. They contended that thoy had no guarantee that they would not be paid off in Sydney. ;snd if they were thoy would lose about nine day:-; 1, and in some instances thirteen days', pay. besides having to maintain themselves during the five days they would have 'to wait in Sydnov for a boat to bring thoin hack to Wellington, Auckland, Lyttoltnn, or Dunedin. When it was pointed on I to them that even allowing for tho correctness of their contention, £14 and Clo was an exorbitant demand :"oi , say. twonty-two days' services, considering their monthly wage ' was .CS to (jli). the men replied that wlilo they would bo doing nothing in Sydney they would be spending ;noney. and, besides, the;-'.' was ,i largo ii-onnt of work offering!: in New Zealand. Thoy had a spei-iai reason for not taking the Victoria to Auckland for Ip-s than :£!">. Thoy also said that ;-,h- '•■V. T. Young, secretary of the !«>'■;•! branch of the; Seamen's Union, v.ould nob intervene as tiie vessel '.vas on Aust)'alian ai'ticlcs. although nmrii-ig nndor ' the \«'w Zealand agreement.J