FIRST SHIPS SAIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19143, 8 October 1925, Page 10

FIRST SHIPS SAIL.

KHAITINE FOR LONDON. FULL CARGO OF PRODUCE. BUTTEI! VALUED AT £780.000 CREW READILY COMPLETED, KENT PROCEEDS SOUTH. The first overseas steamer to clear a New Zealand port since the strike of She British seamen commenced six weeks ago is the New Zealand Shipping Company's Ruahine, which sailed from Auckland for London at 6.30 last evening. She was a full ship, carrying a cargo of produce valued at well over £1,000,000. With a single exception, her cargo of butter is the largest ever lifted by a single vessel leaving a New Zealand port, and is worth on (to day's prices the princely sum of £780,000. She carries as well 9000 tons of other cargo, all primary products, j The Ruahine, which had been taken into the stream on Tuesday night, required 13 men to complete her complement, There was no difficulty in securing these, and they were taken off in a launch at five o'clock last evening without any demonstration by the strikers. Forty of the Ruahine's crew had not joined the strikers, and 'being an oilburner, she does not carry firemen. But, had more men been required, there would' have been no difficulty in finding them. The extra men signed on are stated to be nearly all discharged seamen. Since the conference between owners, strikers and the Prime Minister in Wellington failed, the owners have taken active steps to get the idle vessels to sea. Although it was only on Tuesday afternoon that the failure of negotiations was known, the owners' policy of action bore first- fruit within the 24 hours, the Federal steamer Kent sailing yesterday at noon for Wellington. The extra hands to man her were chiefly cadets from the Devon. Six hours later the Ruahine had sailed for London and fresh developments | may be expected from day to day. Events on Waterfront. Developments on the waterfront were I watched with considerable interest yes- | terday, as it was known that, the Well- ! ington conference having failed, the j owners were not going to let the grass } grow under their feet. Attention was S chiefly focussed on the Ruahine as she j was known to be a full ship. As a ! matter of fact the strikers seemed well j aware of what was toward as the pre- | vious night forty of them had farewelled ; the Ruahine's crew with a torrent of I vilification as the vessel pulled out from the wharf to the stream. The presence of a dozen police officers prevented the demonstration from being other than ! verbal. | Final arrangements for the Ruahine's I sailing were made yesterday morning and | mails for Eurooe were put aboard. These j preliminaries did not pass unnoticed by j the strikers' pickets, but when at five j o'clock the crew was taken aboard a launch the movement was effected with such despatch that the strikers had no time to muster. When four constables moved over to the'launch steps, the pickets hurried away to fetch their brother strikers. Before they could return the 13 volunteers to J complete the crew had been shepherded into the launch and were half-way to the Ruahine. As they were out of earshot there was no demonstration. While Pickets Were Absent. While the pickets were away, the volunteers were escorted from the Shipping Company's office by about eight constables. They were carrying their own luggage and were speedily em- | barked. Quite a number of spectators | gathered, but took no sides, j The launch also contained the officials j of the company, who made all the final j arrangements for the voyage on board I and an hour and a-half later the Ruahine « took her departure. Having missed the i embarkation of the seamen on the Rua- ; .hine the strikers started to watch for I other volunteer seamen that might be in j readiness to join any of the other vessels lin port. The strikers were later informed j that a number of men were being accom- | modated on board the Shaw, SaviU and | Albion liner Tainui at the Queen's i Wharf. In consequence about 50 i strikers assembled on the wharf near the j Tainui at about seven o'clock, but tihey | were persuaded to disperse by Sergeant I Flannigan, of the wharf police, after I he had assured them that no more volun- | teer labour had been recruited and eon- | sequently there could not be any on | board the Tainui. Loaded to the Hatches. The Ruahine arrived in Wellington from London on September 6 to discharge ! cargo, but when she made to sail for Auckland to complete discharge many of the crew went on strike. She was brought to Auckland by the help of officers from ships in Wellington. No difficulty was experienced at this | port in discharging her 3000 tons of | cargo and then loading her full to the I hatches with New Zealand produce. It j was first intended that tho Ruahine j should proceed to Gisborne, Napier and ! Wellington to complete loading, but so ! much cargo was offering here that it I was decided to fill her up and despatch her finally from this port. ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE. FOUR SEAMEN FROM DEVON. RETURN TO SHIP ORDERED. Four seamen from the steamer Devon, Henry James Smith, aged 50, Thomas Johnston Morgan, aged 21, John Eagle, aged 20, and John Hayes, aged 23, who appeared in the Police Court yesterday, admitted being absent from the steamer without leave. They expressed their willingness to return to the ship. On behalf of the shipping company, Mr. Haigh asked for a formal order for return. The Magistrate, Mr. Hunt: I will make the order with ?s costs in each case. Mr. Haigh: Will Your Worship allow a solicitor's fee ? Mr. Hunt: No, I will not. The men have pleaded guilty and they arc going j back immediately.