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Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 88, 5 July 1927, Page 2

“JOB CONTROL.” —Eight greasers of the Australian Commonwealth liner Jervis Bay made an appearance recently before the magistrate at East Ham Police Court, reports the “Shipping World,” and were each sentenced to a month’s imprisonment with hard labour. These individuals took it into their heads that they were entitled to make use of the promenade deck as a route to and from the engine-room, although another passage was provided. This was not l'elished by the passengers. and the captain ordered them to use the special ladders provided for them. The men considered that this was contrary to their union regulations, but the captain communicated with the president of their union and received a reply that they must obey orders. But, in Australian unions there is frequently conflict of authority, and the men considered that the instructions of their local secretary should take precedence, alike over the orders of the captain and of the president of their union. The only thing for the captain to do was, therefore, to have the men arrested on arrival and tried before a competent court. Their defence was that the captain’s order was entirely new, and that the men were not cognisant of it when they signed their agreement. Seeing that special lad ders were provided for the purpose when the ship was built, that plea must have been a very disingenuous afterthought. The magistrate found that the men had combined to disobey the captain’s lawful orders, and imposed the above severe sentence.