Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 - 1954), Saturday 2 December 1911, page 20


THE KOOMBANA FIREMEN.

A DEFINITE UNDERSTANDING.

1 As a result of further negotiations ón Fri-day of last week between the Adelaide Steam-ship Company and the representatives of the Firemen and Seamen's Union, a definite understanding has been arrived at regard-ing the manning of the Nor'-West steamer Koombana with a crew of firemen. Mr. W. E. Moxon, the general man-ager of the Adelaide Company in this State, interviewed a number of the recalcitrant firemen and urged them to take a more reasonable view of their positionHe pointed out that his company could under no circumstances lend itself to an act of injustice to one of its employees,

and that it would amount to an act of, persecution to dismiss the chief steward of the Koombana without an inquiry being held into the complaints made against him. The fact that the men were flouting the instructions of thc executive officers of their own union was also impressed upon them, and they were further asked to con-sider the harm they were inflicting on the residents -o'f the Nor'-West. The men, how-ever, refused to sign on, and the five or six firemen who earlier in the week an-nounced their willingness to proceed in the vessel, also withdrew their pledge. At the request of Senator 'Guthrie, the general secretary of the Firemen and Seamen's Union m Melbourne, Mr. Moxon decided to make no further overtures to the men. Senator Guthrie wired to Mr. Moxon that a fresh crew of 16 men, accompanied by two executive officers, had left Mel-bourne that afternoon by express train to catch the Riverina at Adelaide.