"STAND BY!"

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1279, 7 November 1911, Page 5

"STAND BY!"

COASTAL STEAMERS TO RUN, IS IT A SPLIT? MASTERS RETURN TO DUTY' MATES REMAIN OUT, Quite an important development occurred in tho ships' officers' dispute yesterday. The members of the Merchant Service Guild met in the morning to discuss possiblo terms of a settlement, which they hoped they might- persuado tho owners to accept at a conlerenee arranged for the afternoon, Tho result of tho meeting was that modified demands were submitted to tho shipowners. At the conference (reported hereunder) the owners refused to grant tho wages asked for except on some sis ships, and nothing was settled. > The Split in the Ranks. Then it was that the development took place. The representatives of tho guild returned to their headquarters mid reported to a meeting of members what the result, of their negotiation? had been, iho masters, who have all along been anxious to get lwck to work, took sides against tho mates about tho attitude which they were taking up, and they withdrew from the mooting to confer in an adjoining room. They presently returned and informed tho mates that' they proposed to go back to their ships, and to run them if tliey possibly could. Tho mates, who aro 111 a majority in tho guild, still refused to consider a settlement unless or. their terms, and so it I? g crio « s split has happened in the guild. So far as the captains aro concerned, the disrmte is over, but the mates are still "out," and, professedly at any rate, resolved to remain out. Ships Going fo Sea. What the effect of this new circumsluiico will be it is difficult to gauge, home of the ships will certainly run unless trouble occurs with the wharf labourers or seamen; tho only thing not certain is whether' thov wilf all be plying again in a couple of davs. This cannot liappo 1 unless son,,, 0 f y lO RU j| ( ) mates resume work, which tl-ev still declare they will.not. do. On 'the other lu'V-' 110 of ships' olfiwrs in Wellington is greater tlmn the demand, anil it the cwnprs meet with any success in finding mates for some of their ships thei e may be a scramblo for the vacant berths At any rate, tho deadlock conditurn 110 longer obtains. Boats That Are Sailing. A number of additional boats will put l 1 y ; ?V? itoa ail(t llle Nikau rnf for Wellington last ovonmg. iho Ivaitoa. will leave on her ordinary running to Nelson and the West Coast ports to-day, and the Nikau will leavo tor iNelson and Motueka. Tho Opawa wiil go to Blenheim. Tho Kapiti and tho Stormbird a.re listed to sail to-day for Wanganui, and the' liana and K'anuni tor ] atea._ Captain Rodgers, managing director 01 the Anchor Company, stated last night tnat it was probable that in the courso of a day or two the whole Anchor fleet would bo running. CONFERENCE. WAGES THE CHIEF DIFFERENCE. At tho conference above referred to, the owners were represented by Captain M Aitliur, Captain liodgors, and Messrs. buy Johnston, B. C. Renner, and W. E 1' tiller. The guild representatives were Captain »; J. Watson and Messrs. W. H. Ward, ,1. , ccr9 , W. 'I'.* Brigdcn, and E, lurksina. What the Guild Asked, Tho guild had met in the morning, nnd they submitted new proposals to tho shipowners. The wages claimed for mates 111 the several ships in the licet wore as follow:—\rapawa, .£l7; Alexander, ,£l7 and .£l4; Elenheim, JilG; Defender, Xlfl and £13; Gertie,' XI7; Himitaiisn, ,£l7 and .£l4; Holmdalo, 4:l# and ,513; Huia. £10' luripaka, ,£IG; Kahu, J317; Ivapuni, £17! Kapiti, .£l7; Kennedy, .CIG ami ,£1,1; Ivaitoa, .£1(1 and .£l3; Itairaki, .£l7 and ,£l4; Manaroa, .£l7; Alalia, jCTG; Mangapapa, ,£]G; Mon, ; Nikau, .£l7; Opawa, J!17; Puliki, ,CIG and £13; Queen of the South, .£18; Ruru, .£IG; Ripplf, .£l7 and X'H; Storm bird, .£l7: Waimca, JCI7 and .£l4; Wakatu, ,£IG; Wootton, ,£l6,- Wavorlej. £IG. The guild stipulated also that tho words "except in case of emergency" to deleted from the clauses in tho owners' proposals limiting the hours of work to twelve per day; that all masters and ollicers be reinstated in their vessels; that all clerical work be done in the office; and that when an officer is employed working cargo or running excursions on Sunday or public holidays, lie shall to entitled to receive ,£1 extra for any day or part of a day that ho is so employed. "Case of Emergency," When these proposals camo to bo discussed in coniercnco, no objection was raised by tho owners to those relating to the reinstatement of all masters and ollicers, and to all clerical work being done in tho offices. Concerning the words "except in cases of emergcucy," Captain Watsou, for tho guild, contended that tho term was.of too wide application. Captain Jtodgers suggested that if an officer would not work 011 arrival at his port, at a time' when 110 tally man was available, the working of the ship might bo delayed. Hp also suggested »s anofiier emergency that tho officer whose watcli it was when cargo was to bo worked might be taken ill. The guild representatives agreed that these were both cases of real emergency, and that in such circumstances no officer would ever think of raising any question of whether he should work or not. However they would not agree to tho retention of tho words "case of emergency," which, they said, could be made to mean too much. Eventually the question was deferred until alter the more important matter of wages had been dealt with. Sunday Work, There still remained tho stipulation than an officer required to work in port 011 Sundays and certain public holidays should bo paid XI for every Sunday or holiday on which lie worked. Oil (ho suggestion of Mr. W. E. Fuller it was agreed alter argument to exempt from the operation of this rule the East Coast' trade and the Chatham Islands trade, in both of which a deal of surfing had to be done. The reason for the exception of surf-boat work, was that an opportunity to work must be seized when possiblo; i't was not always saio to wait a (lay if the weather on a Sunday was good. 'Mr. Johnston agreed also on behalf of his firm to pay for tho loading of sheep in tho Sounds 011 'Sundays. A question was raised as to how much work 011 Sunday should entitle an officer to receive the £1. payment. Technically he would bo entitled to it if he worked a few minutes after midnight on Saturday. The suild representatives insisted that thev did not wish to bo so unreasonable, but a proposal that the time lie two hours or over was rejected on the ground that (ho two hours might' occur in the middle of tho day and so spoil nil officer's day off. The owners were not in agreement on the subject, and tho question was deferred. Wages Question, Tho owners withdrew to consider tho wages schedule submitted, and when they returned Captain M'Arthur stated that they were prepared to grant the following increases 011 their previous proposalsAlexander, .£l7 and ,£11; Waimea .£l7 and .£l4; Manaroa, .£1(5; Kairnki' ,£l7 and..£ll; Queen of tho South, Xl7'(boatswain to bo carried); Nikau, ,£l7 if |, oa t.. swam is carried, and XtG if a second mate is earned. Captain M'Arthur made tho further proposal that, in lieu of payment of .Ct for Sunday work, officers bo'"ivcn within one month after work was done on a Suiidav, two davs off Captain Watson stated that he and his colleagues could not aec«pt the proiwsals without a further reference to the guild, nnd the conference closed, both sides expressing regret that no settlement had been reached.

LARGER SHIPS, THE. EVENTS IN PROSPECT. Tho next interesting event in ship, mug circles will lx> tho conloronco with tho seamen to-morrow. After that will follow tho declaration of the ballot of the officers of the larger steamers, owned principally by the Union Company, ns to whether tho owners' proposals submitted sumo weeks ago lit Dmiedili will l>o accepted. 'J'he ballot papers aro returnable on November 15 next. The following aro the wages per calendar month oil'erod by the Union Steam Ship Company, Huddart, Parker, and (.V,., tho blackball, Wcstport Coal, nnd Mnorihmd Companies, for masters:— PASSENGER STEAMERS. Vessels, Wages. 1000 tons and under 1001 to 2000 tons 28 "001 to 3000 tons ;)2 3001 to '1000 tons 3V Over 1000 tons 43 (LytGO STEAMERS. Vessels. Wages. 1000 tons and under 1001 to 2030 tons 27 2001 to JtOOO tons M 3001 to 4000 tons 33 Over 1000 tons 3fi In addition to these rates, the Union Company will pay tho usual bouus. Three weeks' leavo is to bo allowed to masters of passenger ships, and 17 days to masters of cargo ships. When meals are not provided on tho ship, the captain will be entitled to a victualling allowance of 10s. per day, and when ho is required to change his homo port ho will be allowed free first-class passngo for himself and his family to his now port. Employees of tho Anchor Shipping and Foundry Co., Ltd., who worn thrown out of work b ( v tho strilco of officers, aro requested, in an advertisement in this issue, to apply at tho offices of the company's agents to-day.