HARD LABOUR

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11367, 14 November 1922, Page 5

HARD LABOUR

FOR STRIKING SEAMEN CREWS OF WAIKAWA AND PA--10 ON A SENT TO GAOL. DISOBEYING ORDERS. By Telegraph —Press Assn.— Copyright. (Received November 13, 9.45 p.m.) SYDNEY, November 13. Thirty-one members of the crew of the Waikawa were sentenced to 14 aays’ imprisonment with hard labour, on » charge of disobeying the law’ful commands of the master. The men all pleaded guilty to the charge. The captain explained that the men were on New Zealand articles, and when ordered to duty Tefused. Counsel for the Onion Steam Ship Company stated that there was some question of a change of wages in New Zealand, but that could only be settled over there. The crew had no notice of a reduction in wages set put in the articles. The men had been misled. They saw what had been happening in I New Zealand, and their action was an attempt to prevent any change that might he legally decided on in New Zealand. WARRANTS FOR MOERAKI’S MEN. Warrants have been issued for the arrest of 24 members of the Moeraki’s crew on a charge of refusing duty. Both {he Waikawa and the Moeraki are still lying in the stream. The company is refunding the fares of the Moeraki’s passengers. It is feared that trouble is likely when the MaEura arrives to-morrow. Attempts have been made to secure a crew to replace the present one, which is on Australian articles. FOR. LEAVING SHIP. A later message states that it is understood that proceedings are pending against the Moeraki’s crew for leaving the ship, not for refusing duty. The Union Company does not anticipate trouble over the Makura’s crew. GREW TWENTY-FIVE GAOLED. TRIP CANCELLED. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. (Received November 13, 9.45 p.m.) MELBOURNE, November 13.. Twenty-five members of the crew of the Paloona were sentenced to 14 days’ hard labour on a charge of combining to impede the progress .of the ship. The crew pleaded not guilty. The Paloona’s booked passengers have been notified that the trip has | been cancelled. Mails for New Zealand have been removed from the ship. FRUIT FOR SOUTH ISLAND HEAVY LOSS ANTICIPATED. SUGAR SUPPLIES NORMAL. CHRISTCHURCH, November 13. Large quantities of bananas for transhipment to Lyttelton are being held up in Wellington, and will havo to he sold there at a big loss to South Island fruiterers. One importer stated that he had bought 240 cases of bananas at 30s per case in Wellington, and they would have to be sold by auction. , He was not sanguine of receiving rporo than 15s per case for them. Present supplies of oranges and lemons are y stated to be fairly good at present, but. there is bound to he a shortage before long if the strike continues. I POTATO PRICE INCREASED. North Island potato shipments are also definitely held up, and the price has been increased already. There is any amount of coal in stork in merchants’ yards in Christchurch at present. If the demand continues normal these supplies will be sufficient to meet tne requirements of the' public for a month, though on the other, hand there is a danger of a shortage if the public gets panicky. SUGAR SUPPLIES. “There is no cause for alarm, at all,” said Mr L. J. Schmitt, officer in charge of the Department of Industries and Commerce, who was asked what was the position so far as household supplies were concerned. “The department keeps in touch with the position, and in view of the fact that the Government is the vendor of the output of the Colonial Sugar Company in Auckland,” Mr Schmitt said. Supplies are normal as far as he is aware, and the worst thing that could happen would be a rush by householders, to secure supplies dn the first few days. TRUSTING TO LUCK PASSENGERS FROM CHRISTCHURCH. CHRISTCHURCH, November 13. There does not appear to be any very large number of visitors stranded in Christchurch, and the Union Company has not had any unusually large number of applications for passages. Four or five motor-cars, portion of the fleet of two of the Kaikoura. motor services, left Christchurch this morning, laden with passengers for Picton. These people intend making efforts to cross Cook Strait to Wellington. They appear to be trusting to luck in the matter, however. AN “IRRITATION STRIKE” EMPLOYERS AND THE MEN. It is generally believed that the men will present themselves for employment on the 20th inst. Should this prove to be the case the seamem, when they next present themselves for engagement, will he compelled to give a guarantee that they will remain at work under the provisions of the award. Should this guarantee not he forthcoming, no work will be available, and the vessels will continue to lie idle. The shipowners have already pointed out that they are ready to send their ships to sea just as soon as the crows will agree to accept the award.

“A section of the local public have got the ‘wind up’ already over the shipping strike,” remarked a grocer to a Wanganui "Herald” reporter. The grocer then vv?nt on to -state that orders commenced to pout in for such articles as sugar and flour. Apparently the sugar situation is not bad as stocks can easily -be obtained from Auckland by rail at an extra cost, of course, for transport. Stocks of flour held locally are low, but there will be no cause for anxiety for several days