FRESH OVERTURES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1276, 3 November 1911, Page 5

FRESH OVERTURES.

BUT NO SETTLEMENT. SHIPS' OFFICERS V. OWNERS. GUILD'S PROPOSALS REJECTED. Tho possibility of a settlement of tho shipping dispute appeared just as remote as over yesterday. On Wednesday tho guild sought to effect a .settlement by making fresh proposals to tho owners, omitting all mention of the overtime demands, which had previously been regarded 08 tho principal bono o£ contention. Brief, and to the Point. Theso demands wero considered by th« federation yesterday morning, and tho result of tho meeting was tho following letter, addressed by Mr. W. l'ryor, secretary of the federation, to the secretary of the guild (Captain Watson):— "I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of Ist inst, enclosing amended and new demands from your guild. _ I am requested to reply that the shipowners cannot accept the amended domauds submitted by you." The Guild's Proposals, The rates of pay set out in the proposnls for officers on tho various vessels of the fleet were as follow:— Arapawa, Kaliu, Kapuni, Kapiti, Manaroa, Queen of tho South, Stormbird, one mate only, JCIB i>er month; Blenheim, Gertie, Iluia, Kiripaka, Mana, Mang".papi:., Moa, Nikau, Opawa, Ruru, Wakatu, Weotton, and Wavcrlcy, one mate only, ,£l7 per month; Alexander, Breeze, Hiniitangi, ICaitoa, Kairaki, Putiki, Petone, Ripple, Storm, and Waiuica, two mates, £1" per month for first mates, .£l4 per month for second mates; Defender, Holmdale, and Kennedy, two mates, iIG per month for first mates, ,£l3 per month for second mates. Tho demands also stipulated for watch and watcli at sea, and also that, unless the safety of the ship and thoso on board was at stake, no officer should bo required to work more than twelve hours per day. In vessels in which only one mate ia carried, tho mate should 1m entitled to ■four hours off when in his ho™ ;)ort, should tho vessel sail on tho day of arrival. Also, tho followingpoints:— "That llto minimum rate for masters bo -C 25 per month. "In each year every master shall bo entitled to leave of absence on full sea pay for n continuous period of twenty-one days. Leave may accumulate, but not boyond tho tliinl year. "Whenever meals are not provided for him on board, every master shall, except during leave of absence, bo entitled to 10s. por day. "A master shall not be required to run his vessel on an excursion on any publio holiday, lie shall be entitled to receive .£1 extra pay for any day or part thereof that ho is so employed.

"In the event of any officor being compelled to worlc in excess of twelve hours iu any ono day, it shall bo construed as a breach of the agreement, and the shipowner in whoso service he is shall bo liable to a penalty of £5 for each olfence, to be paid to the secretary of tho Merchant Service Guild. When officers are employed working cargo or running excursions on any Sunday or public holiday, lie shall be entitled la receive JCI extra for any day or part of a day that ho is so employed. All mnnifosls and wharfingors' lists to bo written up at tho office. Ail tedding, bedclothes, and cabin requisites shall Ixj supplied by tho shipowner.

"Oiiicers shall bo entitled to fourteen days' loavo of abseixco ou full sea pay each year, at such lime as tho shipowner shall determine, and, with the consent of the shipowner, tho leave may be allowed to accumulate, but not beyond the third year. "At all times, except during leave of absonoe, when meals are not provided for him on board, each officer shall bo entitled to a victualling allowance of per day. "When any member of tho Shipowners' Federation requires an.officer at the port, of Wellington, he shall apply first to tho guild Ijcioro employing one from outside. •

"All officers who have left' their employment to bo reinstated beforo others are employed."

And the Owners' Opinion of Thorn. Tho above were tho demands which the owners refused to accept. They contain some new matter, but a great many of them liavo been agreed to by tho owners already, or are embodied in tho Arbitration Court award. Tho guild insista that tho case of the masters shall bo decided along with that of the officers before tlio boats are set running again. Tho federation, however, refused to discuw the masters' conditions, when the raso was first opened, until tho mates had returned to work, but promised to deal with tlio masters' demands within ono week after the resumption of work. Tho federation still refuses to treat; with the guild concerning masters until the other dispute is' settled. Tho principal other points ill tho demands to which exception was taken were those relating to tho J£s penalty, to Sunday work, and to tho wages on soiuo or all of tho boats. The federation's objection to tho virtual prohibition of. Sunday work is that tho small boats' trade is not always straight-ahead work. Sometimes they wait days for an opportunity to work, and U' that'opportunity occurs on a Sunday it must bo seized. Generally, tho owners insist that the basis of the settlement to be finally arrived ut shall be tho Arbitration Court award, which has fixed tho minimum wages. Tlio owners «ro willing, it is understood, to pay more than the minimum in exceptional trades. Officers Will "Sil Tight." A peculiar pliaso of tho dispute is that both tho owners and the guild are satisfied that they scored several points in securing the. Auckla-ud award. The owners contend that tho guild members by agreeing to the Aueklaud terms liavo made out a very bad case for their own demands. The officers say on tho other "hand that they have likewise scored a win. The in Aueklaud aro better than thus) here, and tlio work and tho trades aro easier, they contend. Tho Anchor. Company's men in Nelson were advised of the proposals to be made, and they oil signified their approval of them as being fair. "We are sitting tight', now. Tho next proposal must e,omo from them," was how Captain Watson summed up tlio Uuild position alter a meeting had boon held yesterday afternoon to receive tlio brief communication from tho owners.

Mr. P. Rally, Conciliation Commissioner, has interested himself in tho case, and he proposes to addrcta a letter to each of tho parlies suggesting that a settlement can be arranged on the basis of the Auckland agreement, lie makes the further suggestion that if any question or difference of opinion should arise between tho parties and their representatives as to tonnage, classification, duties, or trade, in making comparisons between Auckland vessels and Wellington vessels, tho points in dispute might bo submitted to an expert committee for decision, such decision to bo final and binding on both parties,

The chk'f events of (110 future which may have a bearing on tho dispute are the conference concerning tho seamen's wages on Wednesday next, and tho returning of the ballot papers of tho members of the Guild on tlio following Wednesday. A doublo ballot is being taken on tho questions of whether tho registration of tho Guild tinder the Arbitration Court shall bo cancelled, and whether the proposals mndo by (lie Union Company shall bo accepted by their officers. IN WANGANUI.

THE STRIKE AND CUSTOMS REVENUE; (By TcJccrapli.—Special Correspondent.) Wanganui, November 2. The coastal officers' strike has been responsible for considerable shrinkage in Customs duties collected at (ho port of Wanganui, in October the figures being .£1521 Bs. 2d., as against .C'Glll 14s. !)d. in October, licer excise duty was ,fi2G!), aild in October last year JJ3I9, Scy. eral captains and mates of coastal vessels whose homes are in Wanganui left for AVeilington by to-day's express, having, it is stated, been recalled to their vessels. This is regarded locally as a sign that a settlement of the coastal officer!? strike is near at hand.

For Children's Hacking Cough at Night, VVood6' Groat Peppermint Cure, Is. (id,*