INTER=STATE MARINE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 930, 24 September 1910, Page 11

INTER=STATE MARINE.

- . - : —• CHEAP CREWS. SOME DRASTIC SUGGESTIONS. An informal gathering of members was-hold at' Parliament House last evening to i'eceivo suggestions from tho Sealiion's Conference in reference to dealing with'the question of tho employment of Lascars as scainen. Some thirty members wore present, with .Mr. 1\ M. Wilford presiding. .Tho delegates to'tho conference attended as a deputation,, for which Mr. W. Belcher, of Dunedin, was spokesman. Mr. Belcher said that as seamen and representatives of the . seafaring. class in New .Zealand they.'desired, to call attention to what they felt was a ..very great danger. It had been said—it was a platitude—that tho success of tho British Empire depended on its seaborne commerce, and they recognised that sooner, or later New Zealand would become just as important in the seafaring business as tno Old Country.. In this tiie; seamen looked not only to their own interests, but to those of'owners, wlio, had'sunk many millions in Austra-. lian and Now Zealand shipping: Exist-' ing legislation gave very lair -protection in the shape of wages -and emoluments, such as were unknown in any other part of the world. For'this they were grateful. They now - camo "to', ask for further protection. from what they, felt to bo a menace to the safety of shipping.: in New Zealand. and Austra-. ;lia., AVliat thoy desired was combined action by tho Federal' authorities and the New Zealand Government" directed against .the employment, of cheap -Las-: car .crews. They .were desirous of /maintaining, a/white. New- Zealand. They, should be as 'exclusive ".as France, Germany, America, arid other, countries, . which by stringent laws gave protection to their shipping. ', : Tho Constitutions! Issuo. Tho Seamen's. Conference had .passed a detailed resolution," of which the first portion. dealtwith": statutory law.. Thoy. claimed that this - country 'should have an" absolute right to frame legislation •for'-'- tha/ /'protection' of 'local shipping; /They could say very plainly that shipping . legislation sent from this country had received,.scant•' consideration .-at the hands of the Imperial authorities. Shipping; interests in the Old Country were opposed to democratic /and progressive: ideas. The seamen:,.asked that/, the : should 'pass/legislation in the direction of •; making it law that ships manned by Lascar and : other ./ .cheap 1 labour should-'not'..be!'-.permitted-to trade between; Australia and New Zealand. It was-riot only Lascar-manned ships, tliey had to fear. As much harm was done their shipping'>by tho "tiling" thrif picked up a crow, in Swansea or Cardiff:at £3 10s. » month. It had been suggested that this, action ..would probably give* great offence t-o the Im-, peria!'-authorities'.' The . speaker was one ? 'of ' those, individuals who believed that'/ Australia, .and New Zealand should adopt the principle already adopted by Canada,, and say,/"We are. going, 'to make our own shipping laws." Ho .was . perfectly' satisfied. this would not. injiiro Imperial •: cohesion. Now Zealand bad shown-that she: was with the Imperial 1 authorities-.so "far as •-Empire'was .concerned, aiid had ,even put a Dreadnought on tho water for them. It would' be to the credit of New ZoalaiitY t'o tako the .lead/in this-matter,: whatever the Imperial, authorities might think;-. 1 ' ■' \ ■ ■'/ - - A Double Blow. Alternative.; suggestions ; advanced by Mr.yßelcherj -oii'- behalf of ' ,the.-conteV-! ence, were (1) that a subsidy ' should be.paid!. to local ', shipowners; (2) that •an impost.. should .ho , levied on ships, passengers, and cargo in cases. - where - Lascar and cheap crews were employed, and/that. . sums collected/should.■■ bo paid as ; subsidy to local shipowners', to strengthen them in. meeting, .competition. -/ The latter Mr. Belcher ..described 'tis "a sort ".of double-barrelled arrangement." In concluding, Mr. Belcher declared that the evil'iagamst which tho seamen had- taken action was now' atr a stage when "one hard clout would kill - the brute." . It was a national: question, a question' of. whether,-Now Zealand, was goirig 'to/ maintain/supremacy so far as tho intercolonial marine \vas concerned, or lot it pass into: the, hands',of the' foreigners. /. '/ . .'- Mr.: Belcher' having' been--.thanked' for his address, the -gathering/dispersed;'