Suva
p. 34 · Read in the full issue
"Motna" Incident in Suva Crew "Explains"
THE crew of the Union Company’s motor vessel “Matua” has denied that they threatened in March to black-list Suva and walk off the ship if the Governor (Sir Brian Freeston) were allowed on board. (See April
“Pim”).
The incident occurred on the March voyage of the “Matua” when owing to the infantile paralysis epidemic in New Zealand, no through passengers or crew were permitted ashore from the “Matua” while she was in Suva. Queen Salote of Tonga was on. board and Fiji’s Gov ernor, armed with the necessary permits from the local Health Department, pro posed to pay her a visit. (Sir Brian said later that he intended to report to the health authorities every day after his visit to the ship for as long as they required.) The crew of the “Matua” were alleged, however, to have informed the caotain of the ship that if Sir Brian came bn board then they would leave the shio may go ashore, and that Fiji shipping would be completely dis organised.
The crew now says:— “The crew of the “Matua” emphati cally denies any suggestion that the port of Suva should be declared ‘black.’
“The crew’s action was based entirely on the fact that whether the Governor had the requisite medical certificate or not, he was boarding a vessel that in every sense of the word should be quarantined.
“Far from being the cause of con tinued hold-ups the crew is only too willing to co-operate in the prevention of sickness provided those in authority do the same.”
Immediately after the incident, the members of the crew who had signed the statement forwarded to Queen Salote a telegram apologising for the cancella tion of the Governor’s visit through their action, and assuring Her Majesty that this was no reflection on her but merely a protest against the continual break ing of quarantine restrictions by the Fiji Government.
Queen Salote accepted the apology.
EDITORIAL NOTE: The crew’s statement simply bears out the correctness of the original report of the “incident.”
Briefly, it means that the crew of the “Matua,” in its wisdom, saw fit to over ride local Health authorities who pre sumably were agreeable to the Governor visiting the ship. The Governor, hav ing visited the ship, was prepared to place himself in the same position as passengers disembarking at Suva, who must report regularly to the Health Authority. Since when did crews of trad ing ships become competent to decide the merits of cases like this?