CREWS AND "FOREIGN'' ARTICLES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1644, 10 January 1913, Page 6

CREWS AND "FOREIGN'' ARTICLES.

FLAW DISCOVERED. UNION COMPANY MEETS MEN. Seamen signing; on "Foreign" articles of Union. Company's-vessels trading be- i tween New Zealnpd ports and Australia ' havo discovered thnt an alteration in the 1 wording of the> agreement on the front j pago of the articles ha 3 become necessary. r In consequence of this some trouble. I ensued over signing on tho Karori a few { days ago, and again yesterday when the • crew of the Kurow came forward to' at- 1 tach their names to articles at Welling- c ton. Until recently the wording of the 1 agreement for "Foreign" articles was:— c "The several persons whose names are hereto subscribed and whose. descriptions are contained herein and of whom—(here the number and rating £ of men employed on deck is stated)— . , are engaged as sailors, hereby agree | to servo on board the said ship in , tho .several capacities expressed j against their respective names on a -voyage from or to any port or ports in the! Australasian colonies, or island, or islands, in the north, ' or south Pacific Ocean, trading to and fro in any succession of voyages for a term of service not exceeding six calender months from tho date hereof or until the first arrival at the, port of, —(here is inserted tho name of the . port on. which the majority, of the crew, named as Home port)—.to be i the final- port of discharge for the < -purposes of Section 75 of the Shipping ■ i ■ and Seamen Act, 1908." 1 The-part: to which objection has ,been : taken is that which reads from, "Until ] the-first arrival at'the port of," etc. '• : ,; The men. oontended that the company 1 'could, if - they so desired, work -the' crew • of a vessel who had signed-articles in : tho old form for a much longer period : than .was agreed-upon at'the time of. \ signing. on. For, instance: If Wellington was stipulated as being thi "home port" . .and the six months had' about expired '.when a • vessel loaded at 'Newcastle .for Auckland .'and/ Napier,. >the company ' could,#if they chose,;send on that.vessel to Wcstport or Greymouth when she had oompleted discharge at From the ' West. Coast: ports she might bo sent, .to Duncdiri/; ana would perhaps not reach .Wellington until a- month, or; so, after tho agreement had virtually , expired. V.V . Conferences between the-representative of the' Seamen's ,Union and- local manager ,of: the Union Company-were, held, and it was- mutually agreed that .the wording of the agreement .should bo as follows:—"Until the arrival at the'final port 'of destination in New Zealand after the expiry of that .term;',' • , .The reference to the Shipping, and Seamen- Act has pro-tem. been cut out.-' This new arrangoment "means that if a vessel loads ■at Newcastle for Duriedin, Timaru, .and Lyttelton,' tho last-mentioned' port would be considered- the "final port of, discharge in New Zealand." ' .This appears to be fair from the men's point of view, but'the owner's side of the easels different.: Perhaps a cargo of coal is needed by. the freezing companies at Tokomaru', Bay or the BhiiT. Tlicre is.no vessel Available to load at Newcastle except"'one" whose articles expire two dayt before she can reach her destination. .She loads up and sails for Tokomaru Bay, 0£ tho Bluff, and on arrival at either port (they being'final ports of discharge), the , whole crew could walk ashore and leave her .there, and it would be a : very difficult matter to 'rcplacc them. Then again, ■ according to the agreement between tb© New' Zealand Shipowners'■ Federation and the- Federated Seamen's Union of .Australasia,' signed on January 24, 1912, it is stated under Clause 21 (a) that'"the seamen must bo given a free passage, back to , the port where he was first engaged . ."-4is "home port.", _ , For the present ■ the matter stands with' tho wording-altered pending , a decision •from:.the -'Marin* -Detriment,- ( .