Notoriety

M.V. “Pomare” Gains

Extraordinary Behaviour of Labour Minister

THE Maui Pomare, the little 1,100-tons Government - owned motor - vessel which carries cargoes of bananas and seasick passengers between New Zealand and Western Samoa, has been making history recently.

She was the central figure in an indus trial tragi-comedy in Wellington in July; and a couple of weeks later she showed her teeth with such good effect to the “Goodwill Mission” returning from Samoa that the slowly-recovering politicians de cided that something must be done about it.

The first incident directly concerned Mr.

Holden, first officer of the Maui Pomare, who is known and highly esteemed in the Central Pacific as a most efficient officer and a straightforward, likeable gentle man.

Mr. Holden had occasion to dismiss two members of the crew of the Maui Pomare.

The dismissed men immediately protested to their union. The union ran howling to Mr. Armstrong (Minister for Labour in the N.Z. Labour Government). Mr. Arm strong ran around howling generally.

The Pomare is Government-owned and is controlled by the Department of Ex ternal Affairs. The Department was in formed by the Government that the two men had to be re-instated. Mr. Holden thereupon announced that he was leaving the ship. The newspapers were taking a great interest in the matter; Mr. Holden is a man of strong personality and good record—if he left the ship under such circumstances the Government would be seriously embarrassed.

Mr. Armstrong ran around again and howled most plaintively. He appealed to Mr. Holden. Mr. Holden was adamant. It seemed as if the ship would not be able to sail. This, from the Government’s angle, was a desperately serious matter.

The ship on that particular voyage had to carry Mr. O. F. Nelson back to Samoa with the Government’s blessings, and bring back from Samoa the “Goodwill mission” (otherwise the “sea-sick mis sion”).

There were urgent conferences with Mr. Holden. Mr. Holden definitely re fused to sail on the ship with the two men whom he had dismissed. A junior clerk somewhere had an inspiration. Was Mr.

Holden by any chance due for leave? It was found that Mr. Holden might possibly be due for leave. Finally, after much perturbation and newspaper excitement it was arranged that Mr. Holden should take short leave during the Pomare’s next round trip. And that was that.

The Pomare sailed with the two dis missed sailors: Mr. Holden unexpectedly enjoyed a short holiday; the Government crawled out of an embarrassing situa tion; and the “sea-sick mission” was sup plied with transportation on the due date.

Having landed Mr. Nelson at Apia, the Pomare embarked the “Goodwill mission,” and ran across to Niue. After that, right down to Lyttelton, she encountered a series of storms which imposed misery upon all the passengers politicians, pressmen and plain people alike. Mrs.

O Brien, wife of one of the missioners, was tossed out of a chair by the violent lurching of the ship, and her arm was severely injured. After eight sea-sick days, the politicians were ready for re venge.

The Minister told the newspapers that the vessel had many unsuitable features for the service, but he thought she could be rearranged and improved—especially in the direction of providing better ac commodation for the crew.

Mr, O’Brien was more definite. He said a bigger, faster and better-equipped vessel was needed to replace the Pomare.

The vessel is to be surveyed at an early date, with a view to “ascertaining her suitability to continue in the Islands service.”