THE PAY AND HOURS

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1226, 7 September 1911, Page 3

THE PAY AND HOURS

FOR SHIPS OFFICERS. INTERESTING EVIDENCE ON LIFE AFLOAT. THE SMALL BOATS. A WITNESS WHO "AVERAGED" 24 HOURS PER DAY. Mr. Justice Sim presided at the Arbitration Court, which continued its sittings on Tuesday. Sitting with him were Mr. J. A. Jl'Cullough, workers' representative, and Mr. W. Scott, employers' representative. Further evidenca was taken in the Merchant Service Guild case. The principals in this dispute are the owners of vessels of 1000 tons register awl under, engaged in the coastal trade, and the officers of these vessels, who are members of tho Merchant Service Guild of Australasia. Captain D. J. Watson, secretary of the guild, appeared for the officers,, and Mr. W. J. Pryor, secretary of the Employers' Federation, appeared for the shipowners. The demands of the officers are for salary at <£18 a month for chief officers, ,£ll for second officers, and -£12 for third officers; fourteen days' annual leave of absence on full pay; at home port every officer shall be entitled to no absent from thfe expiration of one hour after the ship has been safely moored or berthed until two hours before departure; overtime at the rate of 2s. Cd. per hour; engagement to be t terminable only by one month's notice; and preference to members of the guild. Familiar Wellington Steamers, Edward Fentou Gibson, mate of the Kiripaka, stated that he had been in the Anchor Shipping Companv's service in the Nelson-West Coast trade. His salary had been <£15 per month, which lie held 'to be inadequate for the work done. He thought that overtime should bo paid in port, but did not agree it was practicable to pay it at sea. He had frequently worked cargo on Sunday without being paid. Robert John Hay, master of the Anchor Shipping Company's steamer Nikau (Wel-luigton-Nelson-Motucka trade) stated that his ship carried a mate and a boatswain, but ho took a regular sea watch himself. Ho had frequently worked 21 hours at a. stretch in the West Coast trade. Thomas Walter Spence, who had been mate of the Manaroa in the Sounds trade for four months, gave evidence as to having worked long hours—4o lionrs at a stretch on occasions. The natural result could only be that a man was rendered physically unfit for duty, and that the ship and cargo under his charge would be endangered. The officer concerned also ran the risk of making a mistake, and losing his "ticket." Walter Thomas Brigdcn, who had been mate of the Queen of t'he South until recently, stated that his vessel had been engaged in. the Wellington-Foxton trade. He had previously been mate .of tho Wakatu in the Wollingt'on-Kaikoura-Lyltel-ton trade. In both steamers ho had worked long hours—2l hours at a stretch sometimes His salary had been JJI6 a month. For that wage he had averaged DC hours a week at times, no considered that' <£18 per mensem was a fair salary for the first mate, but such an officer should also receive overtime for any work over eight hours per diem. Herbert Wntson, master of tho steamer Blenheim (Wellington-Blenheim trade), stated that die mate of his vessel was paid £15 per month and worked about 12 hours a day in the trade. Ho considered that a fair salary would bo «£l7 or £18. Also overtime "should bo paid for service rendered to his company in excess of eight hours a day. Ernest Turksma, second mate of s.s. Ripple, declared that his salary was really based on seamen's wage rates. Ho received £3 10s. a month more than the seamen, with a minimum of .£l2. Witness and tho mate both worked long hours. In some months ho had received as much salary as the mate. To Mr. Pryor: Tho bonus which he received was iirst allowed him on account of his knowledge of surf-boats. On tho whole it would be correct to say that his •"'"ago salary had been £1-Uos. a month. hat being so, it followed that he would not receive quite so much as the mat'o. He was free to admit that "Richardson's service (in which the Ripple was engaged) was one of tho best that witness knew of. He would not change to the intercolonial service if he received an offer. Coaching Fees for "Tickets." Arthur Gifford who holds an extra master s certificate and ccnducts a school ? navigation, deposed that it generally took from three weeks to two months to coacla a candidate for his examinations, and the fees for different courses ranged from .63 3s. to <£12 12s. Edward Russell Stock, tally clerk on the Wellington wharves, gave evidence to tho effect that the usual rates of wages for tally clorks working for tho small companies was 2s. per hour, without overtime rates. Tho Union Conjpany paid Is. Gd. per hour, and ovcrtimo at the rate or 2s. 6d. per hour. "Thank You! That Will Do!" I Hugh M'Dougall, who had been employed as mate in the Canterbury Steamship Company's service, deposed to having worked very long hours in the trade—an average of 16 or 17 hours per day. If an eight-hour day wero recognised he would foel contented with a salary of £15 per month. Tj Mr. Pryor..Ho cculd not Temember exactly how it was that his work had avoraged 17 hours a day. If it came to a count up he believed that he could make it average 20 hours. Mr. Pryor: No doubt you could make it average twenty-four. Witness (readily): I believe I could 1 Mr. Pryor: Thank you, Mr. M'Dougall, that will do us! The Owner's Side. Mr. Pryor, in opening tho defpnee, remarked that the Merchant Servicc Guild had ignored the class of vessels engaged in tho trade, and had based their claims on the award made by Judgo Higgins to apply to 'ho big steamers engaged in the Australian trade. Some of those s'oamers were of over 2009 tons register, while some of those concerned >n tho present dispute wero as low as 7? tens register and all were lesj than GOO tons register. A comparison of tho rates of the award with the rates demanded by tho guild revealed the astonishing fact that the rates of pay demanded for officers on our small steamcra wero greater than thoso paid to officers oil tho big steamers in Australia under ar. awird which was adm itwere the best that they knew, and that the guild's own witnesses had admitted that they considered that their services tho conditions wero better than in any tedly very fair to tho workers. Some of other service. Only ono witness had been ridiculous enough to say that he could make his work average 2-t hours a day. Mr. Justico Sim: Perhaps ho counts sleep as work Air. Pryor: Or else his days are longer than ours, jour Honoui;. Mr. Jiistico Sim: Tho Court has been asked Lcfarj to lioll that sleep should count as work. Mr.* Pryor went, tn to quote numerous cases in sutport of tho shipowners' contention that tho position of tho officers now maki.ig the demands eimpared more than favourably with tho position of officers engaiwd in other Irades. The present classification by which chief officers generally leceived .£ls and second officers ,£l2 had been practically based on th» rates pail by the Uni in Company. Tho guild had refused to consider tho question of classification or to discuss anything other than tho demands. Tn tho Australian and Auckland awards, the rates of pay for officers varied according to the feizo of the vessels in which they wero employed, but the guild in the present dispute asked for a uniform rate of salary for vessels of all sizes. The employers were asking that the award should not apply to vessels under 101 tons register. They wero prepared to olTer rates of pay and holidays that would make tho conditions better than any other seafarin" trade in tho world, but, for obvious reasons, they objected to the overtime and preference clauses in the demand. The Cost of Running Steamers. William Edwin Fuller, manager for tho coastal steamers of Messrs. Levin's shipping business for the past eight years. This witness stated that his company had tho Wikatu, tho .Queou of tho South, and

tlio Gertie now running on the coasK Chief ofliccrs on thc.-o vo?>cls roceivcd a month, a special allowance tf .CI hoiiiK raid as bonus. I'll? ofliccrs wen: allowed ten days' annual leave, anil had most Sundays in Fort. The Queen of the Sont li was the hardest-worked vessel of tlir? three, but. last year even she had had fifty Sundays in pori'. 'Ho objected fo tho demand made by the Kitild that an officer should have six days a month in port. Tho business was not profitable enough to stand such a demand. If the demand? as to hours were acceded to, it would moan that the shipping business would have to close down. In tho case of tho Queen of the South (if the timo eff and overtime rates were granted), it would add .CIS 7 per annum to the cost of the vessel. Robert Charles Ilcnncr, secretary lo the I'atea Shipping Company, who stated thai he had been connected with the shipping business all his life, deposed that his company owned tho Arapav.a, Kapiti, Mana, Kapuni, and Iviripaka, each of which carried a mate, who was paid a salary of -£15 per month. Up till Juno 30, 1!)02, the mate's wages had been .£l2 per month, and, from July 1, 1002, to May, 1007, it had been .£l3 10s. per month. Tho mate of the Kapiti received .til 10s. a month from 1006 till May, 1007, and, since May, 1007, all the mates in the company's servicc had been paid Xl 5 por month. His company could not afford to pay any further increase, as, during the last five years, it had paid no dividend. Ho was prepared to put in tho_ two last balance-sheets for the confidential information of the Court. The company's trade was mostly to Patea, and a return of the Mana's work for the past twelve months would give the Court sonio idea of the disabilities of the trade. In the month of September she had been stranded for nixeteen days and nino hours, and, during the whole year, she had been altogether 2598! hours in port—9oo hours of that period being due to her being bar and. weather bound. The working expenses of tho vessel wero £15 a day. THE SECOND DAY. SHIPS' COST AND SHIPS' PROFITS. AVhen the hearing was resumed yesterday afternoon, Captain Watson asked leave to call two more witnesses, who had since arrived in Wellington. Permission was granted, and the first witness was— Edward Harvey, master of the Queen of tho South, who had been trading on tho New Zealand coast for fortyone years, and who stated that, if l ho saw the statement of hours prepared by Jlr. Brigdon, he could form an idea as to whether they were correct. If, however, Jlr. Fuller said that they were incorrect, witness would not he able to contradict, him. He was aware that the reatc had worked for twenty-four consecutive hours at times. It was unavoidable in tho trade. To Mr. Pryor: He did, not think Mr. Brigden had ever been _ en duty at sea continuously from 8 a.nv until midnight. Thought there were a few other inaccuracies in tho slatement of hours also. Alfred -Herbert Woodnutt, mate of tho nimitangi, also gave evidence. Mr. Pryor thon called further witnesses for the owners. Charles M'Arthur, master mariner and manager of the Maoriland Steamship Co., stated' that when his company took her over the s.s. Holmdalo had been owned by Norwegians, and had carried only 0110 mate, at .C'S per month. She now carried two mates at .£ls per month and Xl 2 per month respectively. Tho company had been in existence for some four years, but it had only paid one dividend "of 2J per cont. To Captain Watson: It was true that if tho Lauderdale had not been lost the company would not have lost money lost year. Their new Lauderdale had' been purchased with insurance money and new capital. If tho companies wero forced to pay overtime when they could not afford it, it would merely mean they would close up. AVm. Rogers, manager of tho Anchor Shipping and Foundry Co., said that the company had six ships that would bo affected by the award. Some timo ago, in consequence of a complaint, witness had given instructions that the mato of tho Nikau was to be relieved of clerical work, and that his papers were to be written up at Wellington. AVitness never knew, till he came to the Court that any of his men had worked.24 hours at a "stretch. If the demands were acceded to, only two of the company's six ships could bo mmlo to pay on last year's figures. Witness named the extra annual cost of each vessel if the demand were granted— £203 in the case of the Nikau, and as much as in tho caso of the Alexandra and others of the fleet. Peter A. Peterson, master mariner in Richardson Company's service, deposed that second mntes and boatswains in tho service were paid salary and bonus. Most of tho men in tho company's service had risen in the service from seamen to mastors and officers.. To Captain Watson: He thought that overtime for officers was impracticable. As for tho timo off in port, it could be worked by arrangement, but it would never do to have it a hard and fast rulo. Frederick Chapman Gale, manager of the shipping department of Johnston and Co., put in somo balance-sheets for tho information of tho court, and also tho prico of the Manaroa's mail contract. John Massey Deck, manager of Turnbull and Co.'s shipping business, also put in balance-sheets. Were tho demands of tho officers acceded to, tho cost of tho Aorero would bo increased by over £100 annually. Mr. Pryor, in closing his case, stated that the ship-owners were prepared to issuo an instruction to masters to give officers as much timo off as possiblo in port. Captain Watson, in addressing the Court, Temarked that Mr. Pryor had characterised the demands as extravagant. The demands of the owners were moro than that—they were avaricious. Regarding tho cry as to ships not paying, ho had never yet heard of a ship that did pay. His Honour: The Union Company have somo ships that pay, Captain Watson. (Laughter.) Captain Watson: They don't say so, your Honour. Tho Court reserved decision. PREFERENCE. AS BOILERMAKERS FIX IT. CLOSE CORPORATION? Mr. Justice Sim presided at tho sittings of tho Arbitration Court yesterday, and sitting with him were Mr. Scott, representing the employers, and Mr. M'Cullough, representing the employees. Tho first business before tho Court was tho boilermakers' agreement, from the provisions of which several firms claimed exemption. Mr. J. Mooro represented tho union. Tho following firms applied for exemption:—Wellington Gas Company (represented by Mr. W. H. Ferguson); Wellington Harbour Board (Mr. J. Marchbanks); Gear Meat Company (Jlr. W. G. Lodder); Union Steam Ship Company (Mr. W. G. Smith); and eleven .building contracting firms (Mr. W. A. W. Grenfell). All theso applications wero opposed by tho union, and also by Mr. H. I'. Allen, who represented the following ironmasters:—Cable and Co., D. Robertson and Co., M'Arthur and Co., Johns, Wallace, and Muir, William Crabtrce and Son, J. Murphy and Sons, S. Luke and Co., and Murray, Neilson, and Frederick. Mr. 'Ferguson informed tho Court that the Gas Company had no boilermakers in their employ, and theroforo objected to be bound by the provisions of tho agreement. The Court decided that tho Gas Company should bo exempted. Mr. Marchbanks stated that the Harbour Board employed only two boilermakers, who were both paid a higher rate of wages than demanded in tho agreement. They wero also paid 2s. an hour ovcrtimo and sick pay, and granted holiday leave oil f«U pay. Tho board objected to bo bound by tho agreement, especially tho preference clause. Mr. Smith said that tho Union Company's stiff of boilermakers was employed for the purpose of doing tho company's own repair work. On occasitns the company had let its men out, but without making a penny profit. The company to whom tliuy were 1-snt took all responsibility ill regard to compensation, etc., and as to paying wages. There was no objection to tho rale of wages, except the rat-.> for dirt work, which would be a havdshij) to the Union Company ns compared with other employers. What tho company objected to most strongly was tho preference clause. Mr. Justice Sim : I can't understand how any employers could be so foolish as to agree to such a clause. Mr. Moore asked if tho company were prepared to pay tho wages why should

they object to the preference clause. They could employ whom they liked provided such employee joined the union within a week. Mr. Justice Sim: There is nothing to prevent you making the union a close corporation and closing down at any lime. You might mak-.' the subscription .£lO and 10s. a week, and the i.e.:>r boilermaker would have to pay it. Mr. Mooro said he did not si? how they could do tint. Mr. Justice Sim: Maybe J' oll don't understand it. 11 is Honour went uu to say that because a number of employers chose to agree to such a clause that was 110 reason why a company, which objected, should b'o bound by it. Mr. Allen, on behalf of the employers ho reprcieilcd, objected to the Union Company being exempted. They had competed with the ironmasters by letting their men out to do work for other firms. Mr. Smith gave an undertaking that this would cea,-e. His company made nothing out of it. and they wanted to do nothing other than their own repair work. Mr. Gronfoll staled that the builders ho represented employed 110 boilermakers. They had a class of worker who could do all tho iron work about a building to suit requirements, but they never undertook boilermaking. Jlr. Allen objected to this application also, and called Jtr. Wm. Cable, who fravo evidence to the effect that the term boilermaking comprised girder and rivet work such as wero connected with buildings. The ironmasters had previously done this work. Mr. Justice Sim expressed the opinion that it. was ridiculous that builders should be bound by the award, just as it would bo ridiculous to bind them by a butchers' award. No other boilermakers' award could be pointed to by which builders were bound. Jlr. Lodder applied for exemption for the Gear Company, who paid their boilermakers better wages than asked for in the agreement, and who did not compete with outsi firms. The dispute did not appear to him to be a dispute between employers and employees, but a scheme on the part of the ironmasters to compel all sorts of other people to work under their award. Tho same objections to tho application were raised. Decision wa? reserved in the cases of the Harbour Board, the Union Company, the Gear Company, and the builders and contractors. FARRIERS AND BLACKSMITHS. Mr. W. C. Noot represented the union in the Farriers' and General Blacksmiths' Dispute, and Jtr. W. Talbut appeared for the employers. Tho demands of the union were that ouly three classcs of labour should be recognised: Journeymen, doormen, and apprentices; that a week's work should consist of forty-four hours; wages for farriers and general smiths to bo £3 Gs., and for doormen .£3; wages of-apprentices to range from 12s. Gil. a week to £2 a week ; overtime at the rate of time and a half; and the usual provisions for holidays and preference to unionists. Mr. Noot, in opening the'case, referred to tho disabilities under whicli workers at this trade laboured. Tho work was exceedingly hard, tho rcmunoratio:i not groat, and frequently when a man was thoroughly competent in all branches of tho trade he had to take an inferior job as a doorman, simply because tho better-paid job "at the fire" was not offering. The increases tho union were asking amounted to Gs. a week for farriers and general smiths and 9s. a weok for doormen. Evidenco was given in support of the demands by an employer and several employees. Mr. Talbut said that the employers asked that the wage be hourly instead of weekly, and thnt improvers be recognised. Few boys, lie contended, could bo taught their business in fivo years, and they should be allowed to work for a year or two as improvers. The employers were prepared to pay for overtime, but not for holidays. His Honour remarked that it looked as if tho employers came to Court to ask for concessions, but offered nothing in return. He thought the parties should confer, and for that purposo lie adjourned tho case until, this afternoon. ELECTRICAL WORKERS. Tho Court had to consider several applications for exemption from the provisions of tho clectrical workers' agreement. Mr. W. C. Noot appeared for the union, Mr. W. A. AV. Grentcll for tho employers, and Mr. J. Marchbanks for tho Wellington Harbour Board. Mr. Marchbanks desired that tho Harbour Board should bo exempted, as they only, employed men. for their own work. Mr. Grenfell called evidenco to show that Kirkcaldie and Stains only employed one man for repair work, and obtained outside labour for new work. Mr. Grenfell also called evidence to prove that John Fuller and Sons were in a similar position to tho proprietors of tho King's Theatre, who nad been exempted. Mr. Noot said the union offered no opposition to Kirkcaldio and Stains being exempted, but he was instructed to oppose the application of John Fuller and Sons and also tho application of the Harbour Board, if the latter undertook new work. | Decision was reserved.