OUR SEAMEN & COLOURED CREWS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1627, 19 December 1912, Page 4

OUR SEAMEN & COLOURED CREWS.

UNION LEADER'S VIEWS.

The cablegram referring to the stoppage of work on the Japanese, steamer Hakashika Mam at Newcastle, on account of word having been received from New Zenland that the New Zealand Seamen's Union would refuse to handle the cargo, was mentioned to Mr; W. T. Young, secretary of the Seamen's Union by a reporter yesterday. In reply, Mr. Young said that evidently that part of the cable message referring to liiß union was wrong. "But," ho added, "the Watersido Workers' Union might have issued instructions to that effect."

On the question being referred to Mr. Q. G. Farland, secretary of the Wellington branch of the Wellington. Waterside Union, he stated that he "knew nothing about it." . • ■'

On the other hand, Mr. Young made some interesting remarks concerning the position with regard to New Zealand seamen and coloured crews. He stated that the Shipping and Seamen Amendment Act, 1910, dealt with this question plainly. This Act had not received the Royal assent, however, therefore (two years having elapsed since it was passed), it had probably been thrown overboard. The Act stated that if a ship, 1 employing coloured labour, was employed in the intercolonial trade, tho crew should be' paid the rate of wages ruling in New Zealand. If, however, she was employed in the. intercolonial passenger trade, then, under the Act, she would have to have paid a tax of 25 per cent, on all bills of lading, and a like tax oa all passengers, tickets, and cargo destined for New Zealand. "Under these circumstances," said Mr. Young, "it appears as if the seamen in. New Zealand are going to protect themselves. This could easily be done by all transport unions in New Zealand combining and refusing to handle cargo, or anything else, brought in by ships manned by coloured crews." , Why is it that these methods were not adopted when the Union Company's Aparima arrived here from Calcutta with a lascar crew? Mr. Young was asked. "Well, you see," he replied, "the Aparima came to Now Zealand direct, and did not call at Australian ports en route. Had she touched at any Australian port and picked up cargo for New Zealand, no doubt some action would have been taken in. the matter. It isonly vessels manned by coloured crews, which cut into tho intercolonial trade, that we wifh to get at, and if that Act has been thrown overboard, well, we will have to do as I have said. We must protect ourselves," Mr. Young said in conclusion.