MARINE ENGINEERS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8702, 8 April 1914, Page 9

MARINE ENGINEERS

IMPORTANT BALLOT DECIDED. NEW ZEALAND TO REMAIN AFFILIATED. A cable message published yesterday stated that tho voting of the Now South AVales branch' of tho Institute of Alarine Engineers, with regard to the proposed expulsion of tho New Zealand branch, resulted in 721 being in favour of severance, and Go against. Tho cable further stated that the reason for the expulsion of the New Zealand .engineers was the alleged breach of rule 87 during the recent strike. Rule 87. reads —“In labour disturbances, except where the safety ef the ship is endangered, members, unless otherwise instructed by the institute, must remain strictly neutral; that is to say, must not handle cargo, manually assist in keeping steam, work winches, or in anyway take tho place of unskilled labour.” “

It was alleged that during the late strike some New Zealand engineers did actual firing in the stokehold and worked the winches.

An official of the Alarine Engineers' Institute yesterday denied that anything that occurred during the strike had to do with the ballot, as the papers were out before the strike took place. The ballot regarding severance originated from quite a different cause than that alleged. Another cable received from Sydney yesterday stated that the general vote of all members of the Australasian Institute of Alarino Engineers (including New Zealand) resulted in 1163 votes being cast against severance, and 742 for severance. Thus the ballot has been finally decided. The result of the New Zealand ballot, which was taken in January, was 8 votes for severance and 406 against it. The regular general meeting of the' New Zealand branch will bo held at Wellington on Alay 6th, when the matter will bo further discussed.