UNEMPLOYED SEAMEN

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1931, Page 3

UNEMPLOYED SEAMEN

MORE STEAMERS TO BE IDLE. TEN UNION COMPANY SHIPS. The large number of unemployed seamen in Auckland was exemplified on Saturday morning, when, says the Herald, over 200 members of the Seamen’s and Firemen’s Union assembled on Queen’s Wharf to offer for the 30 vacancies on the Union Company’s cargo steamer Waikawa. The vessel came out of dock on Saturday morning, having been cleaned and painted after being extensively overhauled. She is being recommisioned in the trans-Pacific cargo trade in place of the Waiotapu, which arrived from Newcastle on Friday and has been withdrawn from commission. This week three more Union Company cargo steamers are to be laid up and the crews paid off. The Kaponga, which arrived at Auckland from Greymouth on Sunday morning, and the Kartigi, due yesterday, are to be withdrawn owing to the slackness of trade and the crews will be paid off. The Kanna is due from Westport and Greymouth and she is being withdrawn for overhaul. Her crew will be paid off on arrival. There will then be ten Union Company cargo steamers idle at Auckland, the other vessels being the Waitomo, Waitemata, Kairanga, Kaitoke, Kaimanawa, Kurow and Kiwitea. In addition the Richardson Line steamers Awahou, Mako and Gunbar are laid up there.