The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-01-24
Is In Readiness To Face
Any Strike OF Its
Captains
Eastern Mates Sign Up
Contract, Is Latest
Report
From Thursday Advertiser)

another strike on the part OF tne mas
ters and mates of the lnter.lsland
Steam Navigation Company, and con.
sequent disastrous tie.up of mails,
freight and passenger traffic.
Arriving by the steamer Wilhelmina
from San Francisco, on Tuesday, were
CAPTAIN Altman, erstwhile master OF
the Pacific Mail S. S. China, and Messrs.
Robertson, Smith, Hellund, Claude Per
~ and Melvin, the latter all from New
York, and holders of mates certificates.
With the exception of Captain Altman
the names of none of these appear in
the WiIhelmina IS passenger list, not
withstanding the fact that they travelled
from the Coast first-class.
Arriving by the same steamer as the
Eastern seamen was j. A. Kennedy,
president of the Inter-lsland Company
The report is that President Ken
nedy intends discharging John F. Hag-
lund, port captain for the company, in
the immediate future, and that he has
brought the men named from the main
land in order to fill the places of the
masters of the company's steamers who
are regarded as certain to walk out
lust as soon as Haglund s displacement
is announced. Haglund is said to be
in disfavor with Kennedy on account of
his attitude in connection with last
year IS strike.
Honolulu Harbor, No 54, American
Association of Masters and Pilots, is |
said to be apprised of the pending action
of the company and to have laid its
plans to fight to finish, if necessary, |
in the upholding of the rights of its
members.
The Last Strike.
1t was in August last that the mas.
ters and mates of the Inter.Island Com
pany went out on strike, and it was on
August 10 that the differences were
amicabiy adjusted and the tied-up fleet
released and the steamers despatched on
their usual runs
A question of holiday pay led up to
the strike, the amount involved not ex.
ceeding $40. This amount the com.
pany refused to pay and, in conse. I
quence, the men reformulated their de.
mands and it is alleged to have cost
the company in the neighborhood of
$4,000 before friendly relations be-
tween master and men were resumed.
When this trouble was settled the en-
tire community breathed a sigh of re.
lief, for the movement of sugar was
seriously interfered with, as well as
that of mail, miscellaneous freight and
passengers, and 1t was sincerely hoped !
that the pact arranged between the
company and its employees would remain
pnhroken for many years,
Kennedy Hardens Heart.
President Kennedy was away when
the last trouble occurred, but on his
return is known to have expressed his
opinion of the settlement arrived at
with the men, in no uncertain terms.
Shortly thereafter he again left for the
mainland and little was heard from him,
as far as the officers of the company are
concerned, until, a week or so ago, the
local harbor of masters and pilots re.
ceived word from their New York repre-.
sentative which instantiy put them on
the qui vive.
This word was to the effect that Cap
tain Nichols, a discharged master of
the American Hawaiian S. S. Colum.
bian, was in New York and trying to
contract with sixteen mates to go TO
San Francisco for Sll0 a MONTH trans
portation paid, and with the under
standing that they would not be called
on to 90 to sea at once, hut that they
would he on call in San Francisco, day
and night, pending definite appoint
ment.
Captain Nichols was engaged in the
work of trying to hire the sixteen men in
New York on January ., of this year.
The contract was TO be of six months
duration. 1t was further stated that
investigation showed that Capt. Mich.
ols was working in the interest of one
J. A. Kennedy, of Honolulu.
Captain Nichols, IL transpires. was .
discharged from the American. Hawa- /
iian Company, and since then is said by |
the men Of the harbor to have been .
bitter enemy Of the master and mates |
association.
New Men Arrive.
The local hartor wrote 10 their New |
York representative for further infor |
nation on the matter aud were await /
ing reply, when on Tuesday morning
a bolt dropped from tho blue In the
form Of the arrival on the s. s. vii.
helnina Of Captain Allmnn and Messrs.
Robertson, Smith, Helund, Claude,
Perry and Melvin.
BY the same steamer word wRs re,
oeiyed leaving no doubt that the men
named, with the exception ~ Altman,
had signed contracts with President
Kennedy ana nae come 20 Honolulu
under hJs personal supervision Captain
Altman, Il has been learned. s here ~
take position with the lnteF Island
Company,
just how The news lehhrd ont hard
90 trace, hut hF ihe Same mail from
the Coast, came farther N0fi Ihat
President Kennedy iHtfHdri fhnnG
i'ou Captain llag'unl lmmeIatr.F
after hir Teiufu tn liOuoHIl HHi iAat
he esperied Ne rariHIHf a. RHll Git
10 consequence Rhd would hH nff
plaees Vith The men whom ls had
bTouBNi from thf msiHlHni uhifr rfu.
iGaef a. wplk fof uF moHihs ai tilu
! mopth
nafbeT cengsuss