LAWS FOR SEAMEN

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 944, 11 October 1910, Page 7

LAWS FOR SEAMEN

DEETJTATION TO THE: MINISTER^ ;/ "■:■ ';. ■' ■'(■. .'. -'FOR MARINE.V;,\::< ': /.-,;< .':' The'.'. deputation from'.-. the - Seamen's' 'Union .Conference, which waited upon' tho Minister -for Marine a. week ago, and only, put forward, half of.-. ifs-suggestions,'-again .waited on the Minister, yesterday, - accompanied by ..Messrs, Laurunsoii, ClarJc,' and' M'Laren,' M.l Vs..' -■:-. Mr. W. T. Young (Wellington).'read and explained various resolutions' passed at-, the recent' conference.";

Amongst- tho requests put forward' b'ythe: deputation, were the following:— Abolition of. tho extended harbour limits at-Auckland; amendment-of the ;law : ,re-' lating to : sickness of seamen, with..provision for the discharge. of-incapacitated men by the ship,under certain ■ specified ■ '(lir'ou'mstancps;-.. improvement, .vin -the administration of the Act,-which-re-quires payment of an additional week's .wages alter tha. date of -recovery, irom sickness; -amendment of .the. -term "deserter" 'to exclude a man who.missed.his ship accidentally; a change in the practice relating to the. forfeiture" of deserters' .effects; strict adherence, to the duties of 'each man.included in the manning scale, so that no man should be' called upon to do work-. other t.lwn tlmt ho signed pn for; provision that.all vessels licensed to carry passengers should be required to carry thoroughly competent- crews; provision that a master, officer, : or ;engineer who ; assaulted any;'person belonging to a, ship, at any time, either at : sea or in port, should bo liable to a penalty of .£2O, 'or imprisonment for,six months.

Mr. Millar said this seemed ; hardly necessary, as, the. Shipping Act covered such offences on the high seas, and tho Police Offences Act in port. Strong complaint was also mado by Mr. Young in regard to the particular person who it was asked should be removed on -specified, grounds. . The deputation also asked • that Stateowned ships should be : - brought ''.under the scope of tho 'Arbitration Act. ■''•" The Minister promised to look into these matters. • .Ho thought tliat, considering, the community of interests, tho shipping laws of New Zealand and the Commonwealth should lpo uniform, and he would look into the new Commonwcatlh Act to seo if, without-sacrificing, any of tho good, points of our present law, we could bring it into line.. He would look into the case of the individual' complained of, but it was a serious, matter, to ask for dismissal as had been asked.