The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-06-19
BOILER MAKERS REFUSE TO
TOUCH HER.
Claim They Received Instructions
From the San Francisco Union to Do
No Work on the Vessel.

If the Zealanda is not tied up in port
Indefinitely it will be through the eff
forts of her Chief Engineer Keller that
she gets away. AT the present time
Chief Keller is sorely beset to make
some neeoed repairs to the boiler of
the Zealandia before she will be able to
go to sea. lie is confident that he will
succeed in getting the repairs made
in time to sall on Saturday. The rea-
son that the repairs on the vessel have
not been made is due to the refusal of
the boiier makers to work on her. They
have as a matter of fact inaugurated
a practical boycott of the vessel
Before the Healaudia left san Fran
cisco on the trip she completed, Mon
day morning it was intended to make
some repairs to her boiler. Owing to
the strike it was found impossible to
get enough men to work on her but in
order to get the vessel out as soon as
possible several men, not members of
the union were employed to work on
her. After it was found that the Ves-
sci could come on to Honolulu without
any trouble it was decided to make
the necessary repairs here. About
thirteen boiler makers came down on
the Zealandia to work for the Honolulu
Iron Works. The Oceanic people deter
mined to let the Honolulu Iron Works
take charge of making the repairs.
The manager of the Iron Works was
notified that about half a dozen men
would be needed today to work on the
vessel. This morning Chief Keller " as
ready to put the men to work but to
his surprise nobody appeared. He
waited some time and as no one came
he reported the matter to the Honolulu
Iron Works. He was informed that
the men had refused to work on the
Zealandia.
The reason the men refused to go to
work is that the union claims it is a
job that ought to have been done in
San Francisco by union men, and that
for union men here to do a job which
ought to have been done by union men
in San Francisco is equivalent to max
ing a "scab" job of it. 1t was decided
at meeting of the union last night not
to work on the job in view of the con-
ditions surrounding it. and the advices
received from the union at San Fran
cisco.
The Honolulu Iron Works has nc
connection with the matter except thai
the steamship people asked them tC
send the Workmen to do the job, anC
the workmen refused to go.
1t is said that the reason the mer
refused to have anything to do with
the boat was because of imperative or
ders they received from the head of
instructed the local organization tC
shun the Zealandia because two scabs
We're alleged to have been employed or
her While in that city. This claim was
denied by the ships officers. They sale
that two "scabs" had been engaged tC
do repair work on the Zealandia but
they did not report for duty.
Naturally Chief Keller and the agents
here are very indignant over the treat
ment they have received. They claim
that they do not wish to cut the rates
of the union in the least and are per-
fectly willing to pay the proper scale
The idea of the men refusing to work
on the boat simply because of such or
ders from the head office is, they as.
Sert, ridiculous and unfair.
"The repairs that have to be made,
said Chief Keller, "are to the boiler
guess they are not so extensive but
will be able to get the work all done
in time to get the ship out of here
We don't propose to have this ship TIED
up here and that's all there is to it,