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Star (Christchurch), Issue 12720, 15 August 1919, Page 5

There is a large number of seamen in New Zealand on the unemployed list, stated Air IV. T. Young, secretary of tho Seamen’s Federation, -to a Wellington ‘‘Post - ’ reporter.■ T|ho Australian strike was in some way to blame, but the principal factor, so far as unemployment was concerned, was the laying up of so many boats belonging to. the Union Steam Ship Company for refitting prior to entering the mercantile service. Those vessels hod been, used as transports and hospital ships, and the fact that they were being laid up to be refitted meant that a largo number of seamen and others had been thrown out of employment. The vessels laid up were .the Maunganui and Monowai (troopships), Manama and Maheno (hospital ships), while the crew of the Manuka and the Ulimaroa had been paid off at Wellington. It might be said that in the case of the Manuka; and Ulimaroa’s crews, their discharge was due to the Australian strike, but in the case of the other vessels ih© paying off of the crews had nothing "to do with the strike- “I should Say,’ 1 continued Air Young, “that at present there are 300 additional men on our unemployed list. The position with regard to the steamers for Australia, is that the seamen will not man them: Regarding the Ulimaroa, an effort-' itf being made to secure a crew to take her to Sydney, and if this is done that will employ about fifty of the unemployed men.” . .'