CROSS CREW OF CROSS HILL

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3309, 1 April 1926, Page 9

CROSS CREW OF CROSS HILL

“BETTER-FED IN GAOL.” [Per Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. Twenty-seven members of the crew of the steamer Cross Hill,/ which recently completed discharge of her cargo of phosphate from Ocean Island at Lyttelton, but which has been held up since Monday evening, owing to the crew refusing to sail unless they are paid New Zealand rates of pay, l appeared before Mr H. Y. Widdowson. S.M., in the Lyttelton Magistrate’s Court on a charge of having oh March 20th, combined with other members of the crew to impede the progress of the vessel. The case against one Welch was taken first, after which the remainder of the men altered their pleas to guilty. After hearing evidence, in which

allegations were made by the crew of l' short rations, the Magistrate Stated that the evidence was quite clear that the men had combined to im-

pede the progress of the vessel. He

would have to sentence them each to four weeks’ imprisonment, with hard labouK Howexfcr, if they changed their minds at any time and decided to take the vessel to sea, they would be liberated, the same as had been done with previous cases. He stressed the fact that the action of the men w,as a serious one and was of a nature calculated to paralyse the whole of the shipping industry. Mr Batchelor stated that he had been instructed to tell the Court that the men would not take the vessel to sea unless they were given New Zdaland rates of wages. They were prepared to take the vessel into the stream in order to save the company wharf charges, but would,not do anything further. He stated that the position was that the company would have to pay New Zealand rates to another crew should it be engaged. The men were not in the least dispirited at their cases going against them, some of them stating that they would be fed better in gaol than they had been on the Cross Hill. Diving to the Lyttelton lock-up being too small to accommodate them, they were allowed to sleep on board the vessel to-night.