A LIVELY TIME.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 563, 29 November 1915, Page 9

A LIVELY TIME.

THE HEBBURN'S FIREMEN.

HOLD UP THE STEAMER.

OFFICERS AND MEN AT VARIANCE.

Messrs G. H. Scales's chartered steamer Hebburn was floated out of the dry dock at Lyttelton on Saturday morning and was taken to a berth at No 7 wharf to load a quantity of wool for Boston. The vessel was timed to sail at 5 p.m. for Wellington, but at sailing time she was three short of her complement. The services of the police were requisitioned, and after a search the missing men were found, and were induced to return on board Jt>y a detective and a constable. After a short delay one of the men went on board, and wa§ soon followed by the remaining two, whose comments on the situation were unrestrained.

It was then decided to hault he gangway aboard, as the vessel had her full complement. An argument then started on board, in which others joined. The engineers, who endeavoured to pacify the men, were subjected to no little abuse. Shortly afterwards the first, of the three men who had gone aboard, complained about having been struck. Several of his mates gathered round, and their behaviour was so threatening that the constable who was standing on the wharf, went on board by means of a rope ladder. He offered his advice, which was not taken seriously, and when he returned to the gangway, some of the firemen did likewise, but were prevented from going ashore by an officer. Preparations were then made for the vessel's departure, and the tug was brought alongside. The firemen then complained that they were a man short, one^having signed off, and not replaced. They refused to "turn to" until a substitute was found. One of the engineers then went ashore to get another man, and returned shortly afterwards with a man who carried his clothes in a cardboard box.

Once on board, the firemen soon caught sight of the stranger. They wanted to know why he stayed amidships in the vicinity of the engineers' quarters, and asked to see his union book, which he could not produce.

The men then refused to take the vessel to sea, whilst the stranger remained aboard. Captain Ransom decided to take the vessel out to an anchorage in the stream, the engineers firing up in the meantime. The vessel anchored off Camp Bay, and the stranger, with whom the men refused to work, returned to port with the pilot on board the tug. The chief engineer then found a union fireman who was taken on board and the vessel left the stream at 10.45 p.m. for Wellington and Napier to complete her loading for Boston.