SHIPMASTERS' ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 26, 25 October 1907, Page 8

SHIPMASTERS' ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING. Tho Soventeonth Annual Mooting of liionibcrs of tho Shipmasters' Association of Now Zealand was hold in tho Association's Room, Temple Chambers, Johnston Street, yesterday.'

There ware present:—Captains Balding, King, Post, Cook, Collins, Dawson, Smith, Lacey, Worrall, Cox,' Manning, Clark, and Lambert. Tho secretary apologised for tho unavoidable absenco of Mr. Gcorgo Wilson, president, through pressure of business. Captain J..T. King was voted to tho-chair. ANNUAL REPORT. Tho seventeenth annual report of the Shipmasters' Association • (the fourth sinco its registration as an Industrial Association) is as-follows:— Membership.—On October 1, 1906, there woro 213 members on tho roll, 182 active, 29 providential honorary members, and 2 honorary life members. ...During thr year 30 now members had joined, whilst 28 names had been \ written off. 1

Outstanding Subscriptions.—-Tho balance sheet shows arrears' at Soptember 30 to bo £118 85.,-as against' £116 9s. at tho end of last year. Subscriptions written off as not recoverable amounted to £40 Is., and the Ijalanco had been recovered. TRADE UNIONISM. • Wellington Harbour Board.—Tho result of the Association's appeal to tho Arbitration Court early in tho year was a matter of history. The Association failed to convince the Court that Harbour Mastors, pilots, tug and clrcdgo masters wero shipmasters, i.0., employees within the moaning of the Act. They had been ably reprosonted by counsel before the Court, and had a fund of jnforniation .to submit, and had thy been given tho opportunity of fully stating tlioir cr.Vi tho Court's decision would liavo boon in the direction of bettor conditions and remuneration for those members engaged by tho various Harbour Boards of the colony. They wero, however, ruled out of Court on the decision, of tho President, Mr. Justice Chapman, the principal ■ point at issue being, apparently, "Is a shipmaster a worker? 1 ' The Conciliation and Arbitration Act on this point reads as follows:—"Worker" means "Any person of cither sex of any age employed by any employer to do any skilled or. unskilled man-, ual work for hire or. reward in'any industry.!' It is somewhat significant to note, in the an-; nual report presented : to tho Nejv Zealand Harbour Boards' Association on October 23,

that special reference was. made to the Shipmasters' Association, and their recent action before the Arbitration Court. The report stated that "the Shipmasters' Association mado. application in tho Arbitration ■ Court for an award against tho Wellington Harbour Board in December last, included in the demands being one for a minimum salary" to its harbour masters, pilots, etc. Following upon the resolution adopted at the last conforoncc, reading:—'That if the Shipmasters' Association of New Zealand cite any affiliated Harbour Board before the Arbitration Court the Harbours' Association support in resisting them, and in contesting a case to decido whether or not the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act applies to harbourmasters, pilots, and tug and dredgemasters,'the Board fought tho case on the question as to whether the Shipmasters' Association had any l locus standi under the Act, and in the ovent obtained judgment in. its own favour. The Harbours' Association was represented at the hearing of the case, and subsequently' forwarded copies of the full judgment to the affiliated Boards. "In the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill now before the House is a clause deleting the words at prosent qualifying a 'worker' as one engeged— 'to do any skilled or unskilled manual or clerical work.' These words formed ono of the main grounds on which the applicationof the Shipmasters' Association was refused. It was endeavoured to get together a meeting of tho executive to give evidence before tho Labour Bills Cpmit-tee, . but a "quorum was not in town. The Legation Committeo of>

tho Wellington Harbour Board... however, took the matter, up, arid placed'the position before tho Labour. Bills Committee. The Committee „has riot yet reported." / Masters'' Wages.—During the twelvo months under review, the Association has been instrumental in raising the wages. of masters employed in tho coastal steamers trading out of Wellington.' Heretofore, it has been.' !the rule tliat £20 per month is the wago for'a master in any of our small coasters... It'is'true'that thero have been exceptions "to this rulo, arid some of tho steamship owners hayo acted very generously in the. past with' regard to both wages and bonuses on the yoar's work, hut the .majority of tho coastal masters 'have for years past been receiving £20 per. month only. As the result of representations made, the present minimum wago for masters of tho smaller coastal steamers sailing out of. Wellington is now £22 10s." per month, and members, wero.satisfied with tho result, of; our. recant negotiations.

tJnion Steamship Company, Ltd.—Early in the present year the company was'approached with a request for an amended classification, and as the "result" of-several interviews, 'andconsiderable correspondence between the.' Secretary and Mr. C. Holdsworth, general manager of the .company, an amended classification schemo was agreed to, and is to remain in' force'for the next three, years. The calls on the funds during-the past year, have again been exceptionally heavy for legal expenses, the amount expended in this direction being £192 9s. 4d., as compared with the same item.

for last year 0f,£192 15s. Sd. Meetings.—During the year twelve ordinary monthly meetings'have been held,..and, in addition, twenty-one special meetings; havo been called at various times..

Financo. —The balance-sheet shows.a loss on the year's transactions of £206 13s-3d., and in this connection Captain Manning has givennotice of a resolution dealing with the limitation of legal expenses. It has'already been pointed out that under the existing custom of paying all legal expenses for members in trouble, that an important casualty might involvo protracted legal - proceedings, and tax tho resources of tho Association to an evon greater extent than has so far been the case. It is, therefore, advisable that provision be made either by increased subscriptions or limitation of monetary assistance to membors to safeguard tho funds of the Association. Amalgamation.—A ballot of members was taken in Juno last to decide tho question of effecting an amalgamation between the Ship-, masters' Association of New Zealand and the Merchant Service Guild. The result of the ballot was against amalgamation. _ Affiliation.—lt was decided at a committ'e'o meeting' held -on August o that " further ballot be taken to obtain the views of members on the questipn of affiliation between the two Associations." Ballot papors aro due on tho,, 30th inst., and .a'meeting will be held immediately afterwards to report the result... In. this connection, a .-notice of motion has been; tabled by-Captain Cox regarding an additionalrulo. to be added on to tho rules of the .Association, enabling an affiliation to bo carried out, should the ballot be in its favour. v Auckland Union.—The annual report of. cue Auckland Union shows an increased membership, and that great interest in 'shipmasters'affairs is boing taken by the Auckland members. Tho Auckland expenses havo been very heavy through the year, totalling, £249 65.. 3d., as against subscriptions of- £133 17s. ; .. Tho Secretary, in conclusion,' thanked the. membors for the assistance and co-operation oxtendod during tho twelvo months undcr.roview. ■ ' , , The report and balance-shcct wero adopted, on "tho motion of Captain Manning, seconded, by Captain Cox. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Election of officers resulted as follows:— President, Captain J. T.' King; vicc-presi-dents, Captains W. P. Collins,, ami James Wills, re-elected; trustees, Captains E. J. Evans and 15. Harvey, re-elected ;■ secretary, Mr. J. W. Williams, re-elected,' on the mo-.' tion of Captain Cox, seconded by Captain Dawson; auditors, Messrs. Badham and Biss,, re-elected.