A STEAMER DELAYED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14934, 6 March 1912, Page 7

A STEAMER DELAYED.

CREW COMPLAIN OF THEIR FOOD. (NT TELEGRAPH. —VRESS association.] Dlwkdix, Tuesday. Tub steamer Taraweia was timed to leave Dunedin for Northern ports at three p.m. to-day. but sho did not get away.till five p.m. The delay was duo to tho firemen and seamen giving 24 hours' notice from Monday morning to discontinue work on tho steamer, and the difficulty in getting men to fill their places. It appears that while the steamer was coming down tho coast the crew found fault with tho quality of* the meat supplied to them, for which they blamed the ship's cook and butcher. It is not denied that tho men had cause for complaint, regarding the quality of the meat. On one occasion Captain McLean had tho meat replaced by perfectly fresh food, and promised that the men should not have further reason to complain. Tho firemen and sailors, however, demanded that the cook and butcher, or at any rate, the latter, bo taken oft the steamer, and while the position stood thus unemployed sailors and firemen would not sign on tho vessel. A conference was held between the men and representatives of tho Union Company to-day, when the: former reiterated their demand. The difficulty was solved by the butcher resigning, and other men thereupon signified their willingness to join the steamer. Only two firemen and one trimmer out of tho original crew were left on tho vessel when she sailed.