ARAHURA DETAINED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17277, 29 September 1919, Page 6

ARAHURA DETAINED.

TROUBLE AMONG CREW.

OLD DISPUTE REVIVED.

PASSENGERS INCONVENIENCED.

A dispute between the firemen and stewards on the Arahura on Saturday night resulted in the vessel not sailing for the East Coast, as was intended.

The dispute is over a steward who joined the vessel on Saturday, and to whom the firemen object. They wished him to be dismissed, but the other stewards protested, and refused to sail in the vessel if the man was dismissed at the firemen's instigation. The firemen thereupon refused to take the vessel to eea with the man en board. Consequently a deadlock was reached, and the vessel's departure was postponed until this morning.

A similar dispute occurred on the vessel some time ago, and she was detained at Auckland for about ten days. The present trouble is the outcome of the former one, as the steward objected to was the man regarding whom the previous trouble arose. Since that time he has been employed elsewhere, and of the original crew of firemen only one now remains on board. The stewards had no dispute with the present firemen on the vessel, vho are faid to be concerning themselves about the former incident.

As the trouble did not reach a climax until just before sailing time on Saturday night, all the passengers were on board. When the vessel's departure was postponed most of them were unajle to return to their hotels or residences, owing to the lateness of the hour. The Union Company therefore allowed them to stay "n board, and if the dispute, is not soon ended they will be put to considerable trouble and expense through the vessel not sailing to time. The vessel is fully loaded, and has perishable cargo on board.