MAORI HELD UP

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10507, 7 February 1920, Page 7

MAORI HELD UP

FIREMEN REFUSE DUTY PROTEST AGAINST LEAKING' BOILERS. MAPtXURIKA AND MONOWAI AS SUBSTITUTES. Disappointment awaited some 470 passengers who embarked on the Maori at "Wellington last evening for Lyttelton, as, owing to the firemen objecting to proceed to se«* f giving as a reason leakages in tiio vessel’s 'boilers, 'the "trip had to he abandoned. The Union Com-’ pany permitted those passengers who had no homes or accommodation ashoro to sleep on board for the night. TheMapourika, to sail this evening at 7 • o’clock, and the Monowai at 5 o’clock, i io-morrow morning will take passengers: for Lyttelton. ■ STATEMENT BY COAIPANY MANAGER. 1 .

The position as explained to a. “Times” reporter by Air W. A. Kennedy, local manager for the Union Steam. Ship Company, was that the men: alleged that itho .Maori’s hoilers wei'e unsafe and objected to taking her to, sea, on that., account. Qn .the recommendation of the Executive Oounoil of j the Seamen’s Union, two Government, surveyors, Messrs Snisted and Hely, were deputed yeste-rclay to examine the boilers and decide whether or not they were seaworthy. Air Kennedy states that the surveyors /gyve a‘de-, finite opinion that tile boilers wer© seaworthy, and that there was no reason 1 whatever ' why ” the vessel should ! not; proceed tio LytteiSton. However,; in spite of -tliis, and contrary, to the, rocouijncndatipn' of the Seamen’s Union, the firemen definitely refused to take the Alaori to sea. i

The result is that nearly 500 passengers .are held up at Wellington, jahd they \ate recommended, to .call at the Union Company’s ofiice w ' immediately 'after nine o’clock this morning in order to see "what arrangements can be made for their -conveyance to Lyttelton. ' TRUE FIREMEN’S COMP LAIN TS

It appears that lor some time past the. Maori’s boilers have been, developing .'and - these., have been promptly dealt with. On the arrival of the Maori .at 'Lyttelton on Thursday morning from "Wellington, the firemen gave notice that unless the boilers were properly repaired they would sign off the vessel's articles. Repairs were put in, hand .at Lyttelton, and the ' vessel came on, jtp_,'Welljngton as usual, arriving here yesterday at 9.20 a.m. The test.at full-steam pressure* referred to by. .Mr Kennedy was applied yesterday,; and, according to the 'Government ■ surveyors, the _ boilers were in a satisfactory condition. :It seems, however, that there, were very slight '.from several, 5 ' patches, which, although they did hot impair the vessel’s -seaworthiness, the firemen claimed rendered their duties unpleasant through the escape of steam and hot water. At the hour for sailing the'"£fteen "firemen arid nirfb Ttrimmcrs ihdica ted'their intention of refusing to take' thy Maori . ’to sea until all steam ' leakages were stopped. There were on' board delegates from the Dunedin, branch ot the Seamen’s Union, who were about to return from the conference with the employers. These delegates, endeavoured to induce the firemen to turn-to, but were unsuccessful. After much parleying between the Union Company’s officials and this' men; at about 9.30 o’clock it was realised that the trip would have to be abandoned. Most of the passengers went ashore to their homes! or lodgings, and the rest were permitted to sleep on board. The boilers will jbe further attended 'to tb-day by the Union Company's shore "repair staff. 1 Among those who intended to proceed south were Mr D. A.I’Aiken, 1 ’Aiken, general t manager of the Union Company, and Captain IL Monro, ” gen'eral manager of the Canterbury Steam Ship Company. _ ' |

To aggravate the difficulty, news was received at "Wellington lagt even, ing that the Alararoa was held opiat Lyttelton owing 'to a case' Of influenza on board .and through the crew't-ofus-ing to go to sea until the vessel'had undergone twenty-four hours' quarantine, notwithstanding ' that ' elio had been thoroughly fumigated, throughput. The Alararoa, therefore, will probably leave Lyttelton to-day tor Wellington, is due here to-morrow morning, and will sail to-morrow after, noon again for Lyttelton. SUBSTITUTE VESSELS.

As the,Maori ' now will not leave Wellington until Monday night tor Lyttelton,’’the 'Union Company have decided to dispatch the Alaponrika from here at 7 o'clock this evening for Lyttelton with passengers. The Monowai will ; leave Wellington rat 5 o’clock tomorrow morning for Lyttelton and Dunedin with as many passengers as she can" accommodate. The, Union Company advise intending passengers to ball at the company’s” office this'morning'to ascertain which boats they will be able to' tfavel by/ and it is urged that only those who have pressing need to go south will apply for passages to-day. ■ '