MORE THREATS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 288, 9 November 1925, Page 7

MORE THREATS

STRIKERS’ PRESIDENT’S SPEECH.

“TEAR UP EVERY AGREEMENT.”-

(By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received, November 9, 10.30 a.m. MELBOURNE, Nov. 9.

The president of the overseas sear mes’s strike committee, addressing a meeting in support of the strikers, bitterly attacked the waterside workers and, the West Australian Government. He said that if the strike collapsed it 'would be through two causes, the West Australian Labour Ministry and the Watersiders’ Federation. He said the seamen were going to carry on the fight until driven back by starvation. If tho strike committee was financial when ships arrived from Fremantle they would pull out again. If the occasion arose the seamen must be prepared to strike every time and tear up every agreement, whether made in the Arbitration Court or not. —Press Association.

HOLD-UP OF THE MAHENO

VESSEL SAILS AFTER DELAY.

SYDNEY, Nov. 7. The hold-up of tho Malieno was the result of some firemen prolonging their shore leave. The ship was about 20 men short when she moved to anchorage. These men, when taken out to the vessel in a launch on Friday afternoon, signalised their return by making a violent attack on a trimmer wha had refrained from joining the party, tho members of which jumped ashore as the Maheno was leaving the wharf. The trimmer was badly knocked about and fled for his life on to the launch. All his belongings, including his papers and war medals, were flung overboard. Having got rid of him, the crew then refused to sail shorthanded. Another man was found this morning, and after a delay of 20 hours the Maheno sailed.

Twenty members of the crew of the steamer Aeneas returned to the vessel to-day. They stated that members of the crews of other vessels were making inquiries as to the possibility of returning. It is anticipated that if an official statement is long delayed there will be further defections from the ranks c'f the strikers. —Press Association.

RAID ON A STEAMER.

FIVE OF A CREW INJURED,

BRISBANE, Nov. 8.

The first steamer to sail front Brisbane since the end of the strike was the Autolycus. The crew were chaffed by other seamen as they left. A party of 30 or 40 seamen raided the steamer Port Victor, which was manned in England since the commencement of the strike, and attacked members of the crew, five of whom were injured. Three shots were fired. One of the raiding party was injured, also two other seamen, but none seriously. A large force of police were ] quickly on the 6cene, but the raiding j seamen decamped before they arrived. —Press Association.

MINIATURE BATTLE.

FIGHT ON THE PORT VICTOR.

Received November 9, 10.30 a.m. BRISBANE, Nov. 9. The deck of the Port Victor was the scene of a miniature battle when the vessel was raided by a party of strikers from the steamers Barrabool, Port Sydney and Port Auckland. The raiders were not dispersed until three of them were wounded by revolver shots by a Chip’s officer. The hostilities commenced whea several seamen, on reaching the top of the gangway 7 , knocked down tiie quartermaster. A party of forty j others climbed over the side to tho] deck and stripped the small booby hatches, using the timber as batons. They also carried iron bars. The raiders invaded the forecastle head, where a number of seamen were sleeping, with batons, iron bars and legs wrenched from tables in the forecastle. The raiders took heavy 7 toll of the sleeping seamen, who would only defend themselves with their hare fists.

Things were looking very ugly when the chief officer appeared, brandishing a revolver, and the raiders quickly 7 fled over the side. In the meantime a desperate fight was waging on the gangway. Tho officer drew his revolver and fired, dropping one of the strikers. Two more shots were fired and two invaders were injured.

Policemen in the meantime arrived and three raiders were removed to hospital suffering from bullet wounds. Tho casualties on the Port Victor totalled twelve, hut none was serious.

Later the second wireless operator of tho Port Victor was arrested on a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm. i

After a meeting the crew of tho Barrabool decided to return to work. The watersiders at Bowen resolved to return to work to-day as a re stilt of pressure placed on the extremists by the farmers.-—Press Association.

WONGANELLA’S CARGO

WATERSIDERS ACCEPT AWARD

Per Press Association

CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 8. At Lyttelton yesterday, after a stop-work meeting and on the advice of the secretary, the watersiders accepted the arbitrator’s award of 2s lOd per hour for discharging phosphates from tho Wonganella.