SEAMEN'S UNION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 928, 22 September 1910, Page 3

SEAMEN'S UNION.

>' ; '• '.The : conference... of. !: the'a 'Executive ! : Council. of ; . tho ; : .Australasian. Federated: . was; resumed ;; yesterday, :, nearly the whole of the .day being occu- . pied. in;';discussing tlie/invasion of 'the • lascar-manned ships into the intercolonial, trade. The. delegates ''unanimously agreed: '- to the following conclusions; which are' to'be placod 'before the 1 :Erime ; Minister . and the Minister .for Marine by a deputation:— .•; ;■'!' '•■''\.,:■,'■■ ''■;'■,..'.'.'.,.. ■'.,.'.'' ■"„••'■'; H "That in: the interests of: the national life of ..the- Dominion,;'.: the 'Government be requested to. , ; "' ; :■■.■■ :!'"(a) To so .amend the Shipping and : . Seamen's: Act that all-ships,; irrespectivedfiwhore,registered v or ,'oVned, engaged in the coastal; intercolonial, or SoutliiiPacinc.: ; Island trader--shall-.be to'bb- : ,'■• serve';the industrial, conditions and rates'..'. of, wages as; are and .'paid, by shirs owned in the Dominion; or, .'.: 5" '(b) To subsidise all local "or Aiistfa- . . ljan . companies ; operating,. the inter- ■ colonial trade who. conform to Austra- '' lasiaii industrial-conditions; or,'. ...'.,- ; :''■ " '(c) To. so .tax','the passengers antifreights carried by ■' alien-manned 'vessels' so,, that' they do not . compete .-.unfairly with- 1 -Australasian/vessels; or,' '":..-- : : :".'(d):.Failing that,4o : so tax the pas-' * sengers and ? freight carried. by, ships not observing '-.thU;. industrial; conditions and rates of wages of .New' Zealand' sufficient ' tb subsidise -New' shipowners.-for' ' the loss.sustained, by such unfair com- - . petition/."' ',•,.' ."'- ;.'.".':.'. :'•■' ,;'ln'support of: the above the .executive: ; pointed out,-by way of' preamble (also ' unanimously.adopted), that the Dominion of. New _ Zealand is an insular ■ country, depending largely on its seaborne trade . and local . mercantile" ■ marine, for imports; '.that the-, local "and ; .'intercolonial ' mercantile -marine' affords'. employment' under 'conditions .to a large numbet of workers' and:,''their de-. pehdehtsi' who' are contributors \' to" the general revenue, bf the country, and fromwhich. source/is drawn-:a,'considerable portion of the naval reserve•:• for - thedefence of. the Dominion;, that- it. has been- demonstrated that'/foreign-owned and. cheap alien-manned vessels .are competing unfairly with : locally-bwned vessels,. , the owners of which havo to comply with the laws of' the-Dominion; and that the foreign-owned and. cheap-manned.-vessels . : are immuno ; from such laws,,:and are,..a menace' to the national ; interests''of'-the Dominion, by employing lascars and coolie labour, which cannot be controlled by the laws, of the Dominion. ' ; •' The conference has now concluded.