TO CARRY ON.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18402, 8 June 1925, Page 9

TO CARRY ON.

COMMONWEALTH LINE. ELIMINATION OF TROUBLE. TIGHTER INDUSTRIAL LAWS. (K CABLK—rBXSS ASSOCIATION—COrTBJOHT.) lAU3THAUAX AXD S.Z. CABLI ASSOCIATION./ MELBOURNE, June G. Mr S. M. Bruce, speaking at -Ballarat, announced that the Commonwealth Line of steamers would not be sold, as only one offer had been received. This had been refused, and the line is to be continued as at present under the control of the Shipping Board. "In order to eliminate labour troubles with the Seamen's Unions-, and to ensure the prompt observance of awards, the Government proposes to tighten up its industrial legislation. During VJ-M, :: said Mr Bruce, "then! were more than twenty serious holdups, r.nd innumerable minor ones by the Australian unions of vessels in tho line, involving a direct loss of many thousands of pounds. During the thirteen months ended September 80th, 1921, the expenses in wages and victualling the ships for the crews amounted to £475,250, whereas, if the ships had been on the British register it would have been £244,446. A vigorous building programme will be formulated, and all ineffioicnt tonnage will 1m) sold and replaced by new vessels."

Delivering his judgment in the Seamen's Union case, the Deputy-Presi-dent, Mr Webb, said it v.as with the deepest regret he made the deregistration orders. Thev were a fine body ot Australian men, but, through their officers, the union was being deprived of its status and the protection of the awards of the Court. The conditions under which Australian seamen work are the best to be found in the world, and they were obtained by constitutional methods, not by the methods advocated by 'Messrs "Walsh and Johnson. These methods have always signally failed in Australia, but if the seamen choose to follow the foreign idea? of these men, then they must tako the consequences.

Following tho deregistration of the •Seamen's Union, the management of the Commonwealth Line have decided to call for crews to man tho steamors Eromanga and Pilga. If unionists do not respond, an effort will be made to secure non-union labour.