ROYAL MAIL LINER AORANGI.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20287, 21 December 1927, Page 9

ROYAL MAIL LINER AORANGI.

HER DEPARTURE DELAYED. TROUBLE WITH THE GREW. (Special to Dails Times.) AUCKLAND, December 20. The Royal Mail liner Aorangi, which left for Vancouver to-night, was delayed for nearly two hours owing to trouble with the crew. The vessel was ready to sail at 6 o’clock, but at sailing t»me two of the deck hands were absent. It is understood that one of the men had asked to be paid off during th e day, but his request was refused. He then went cn shore, and failed to return. The -absence of the man and the matter of replacing him by a substitute formed the subject of a meeting of the other seamen on board. The meeting lasted nearly an hour, and after it ended a substitute, who had been engaged in place of the missing man, left in a motor car to obtain his sea outfit. When h e returned a quarter of an hour later the passengers cheered, because they thought the Aorangi would then sail. However, the vessel was further delayed by a second absentee, who, about halfpast five, climbed ashore by means of one of the fender lanyards. The man wandered about the head of the wharf until 7.35, and then returned on board. This ended the Aorangi’s trouble, and shortly afterwards the gangway was let go and the vessel cast off from the wharf. The delay was very disappointing to passengers, and a large number of people who had assembled on the wharf to bid goodbye to friends. The Prime Minister (Mr J. G. Coates) was present to bid farewell to Mr and Mrs Amery, but he had to leave the wharf at half-past six in order to catch his train for Wellington. By the time the Aorangi sailed many of the other spectators had departed owing to the uncertainty as to when the vessel would go.