OBSTREPEROUS FIREMEN

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8308, 20 December 1912, Page 8

OBSTREPEROUS FIREMEN

CAUSE DETENTION OF MAPOURIKA AT NELSON. Press Association. NELSON, December 19. The Union Company’s steamer Mapourika, after a prolonged delay at Wellington wharf in connection with demands of tho stokehold crew\ had her running further dislocated this afternoon, troubi* from the same source being responsible for the steamer being held up at the last minute, prior to sailing at 3 o’clock, tho scheduled time for staling. The aft moorings had been cast off, and the pilot was in charge, when the firemen and trimmers left the stokehold and went to the bridge, informing the captain that they would not stoke the vessel until another fireman had been obtained. It that one of their number had come on board under the influence of drink, and refused on any account to work. The stokehold crew consisted of three firemen and three trimmers, this providing a fireman and a trimmer for each watch. The men contend that the absence of the malcontent made the work too severe, hence tho demand for a new fireman. In the meantime the vessel had been remoored.

The captain and the local manager of tho Union Company conferred with the men. Another ditaoulty then presented itself: there was no fireman with a ticket to be found in Nelson, and the services of another trimmer were refused. No agreement was arrived at, and the sailing of the vessel with a large number of passengers for the West Coast was put off till 10 o’clock to-morrow. The Pukaki, which sailed later, took all the Mapourika’s perishable cargo.