FERRY SERVICE TROUBLE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13601, 5 February 1915, Page 2

FERRY SERVICE TROUBLE.

Mr D. Aitken, general manager of the Union Steamship Company, m the course of an interview, said that the invariable rule of the company was that all' complaints made were investigated, but m the present case no complaints were received either by the .company or the master or the chief engineer.,: Qtn Monday at midday the men were assembled on the deck of the Maori, Mr Young being present. The men were asked if they were prepared to resume duty, and work the ship thai'; evening;. It was pointed out to themthat no complaints were made by them at any time to^ the captain or the chief engineer regarding, "the third engineer, and tb&> company declined to consider the suggestion that the third engineer shbiild be removed from,. the ship. Captain Manning informed the men that any reasonable complaint would be investigated m accordance with the • invariable rule of the company, m such cases. • :■„'

Regarding tho suggestion by 511? Young, that the diffioulty might bo overcome by the third engineer asking for a transfer to. some other vessel, Mr Aitken said,_ m the course of an interview, that it would have been, tantamount to an admission on the engineer's part that he had treated the men unfairly, and suoh a course as that suggested would inevitably Tesult m grave trouble with members of the Engineers? .Institute as a whole. ;lt was ior that reason that Mr Young's sug-gestion-could not be entertained. The company were now endeavoring to secure a fresh . stokehold complement for the Maori, but owing to the scarcity of men, it was- a matter of difficulty^ The Pateena was taking up the" rmmirij»-in the 1 meantime. It was understood that the union; as well as the stokehold crew of "the' Maori, were very ■ anxibus that the trouble should be confined to the. Maori. " -' ' ' ■ •