PROTEST OF SEAMEN. PROTEST OF SEAMEN.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1882, 16 October 1913, Page 3

PROTEST OF SEAMEN.

ON SHIPPING BILL.

TIIE MINISTER'S ASSURANCES,

A deputation from the New Zealand Seamen's Federation waited upon the Minister of Marino (the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher) last night with a number of protests against clauses contained in tlio Shipping and Seamen Amendment Bill before the House. The deputation, which was introduced by Mr. Hindmarsh, M.I 1 ., was favourably received, and'were very gratified by tho assurances made by tho Minister, who, in reply to one objection as to tho schedule, said, '-'That's an end schedule, then."

Mr. Young (secretary of the Seamen's Federation), who stated tho case 011 behalf of tho deputation, objected first to Sub-section 3 of Clause 4, which provides that seamen engaged at outports who fail to join the ship shall bo liable to imprisonment for not exceeding one month. ' Mr. Young stated that they were entirely opposed to imprisonment for that class of offence, and had succeeded in having it abolished for desertion and absence without leave, but under tills Bill it was proposed to reintroduce it. They recognised .that where a seaman was engaged for an outside port and failed to join the ship an offence was committed, bij.fc it could bo met by one month's suspension. They therefore hoped that that clause would be struck out. They also objected to Clause G, containing tho agreement as to final port of discharge, and held that the present law met all requirements. Under Clause G it might happen that a ship's articles were taken out at Lvttelton, where there was no federation official to advise the men, and tho "master's plausibility" may lead to the men agreeing to Lyttelton as their final port of discharge, the result being that they might not get back to Lvttelton during the six months of their articles, and consequently they could not leave .tlis sliip during that time. That clause nullified the freedom given to seamen under Section 75 of the principal Act. They also objected to Clause 7, which provided that an able seaman may be employed as lamp-trim-

Tho Hon. F. M. B. Fisher: I am going to drop that clause, anyhow.

Food In the Forecastle, Mr. Young thereupon passed 011 to Clause 8, and _ the schedule, which 110 strongly objected to. "This," he said, "is introducing something into this country which we have never in tho past enjoyed, and wo don't wish to enjoy it in the future. As a matter of fact," he added, "we're not going to enjoy it, we have made up our minds about that." This clause provides for tho scale of provisions for tho crow by schedule, and Mr. Young said the men preferred to sign as usual for "food without waste."

The Minister: We ought not to misunderstand one another. It was suggested that a schedule would be a good tiling for you, but I have 110 desire to ram something down your throats which you don't want.

Some Tragic Ships' Cooks. Mr. Young replied that tho scale of provisions was there by regulation, and not by law, and tho crew signed across it "sufficient without waste," which had always been the custom on that coast and ill tho intercolonial trade, and had always worked satisfactorily. Proceeding to discuss Clauso 9, Mr. Young said that if this became law intercolonial trading ships would 110 longer bo required to carry a certificated cook. "All cooka ought to pass an examination," contended Mr. Young, who added: ''There arc some cooks who would drive a man to the cemetery in a daj\" That clauso provided that only foreign-going ships should carry a certificated cook, but they asked that it should bo extended to coastal ships.

The Minister.: Are the certificated cuoks available? What are you going to do if they aro not? Are you going to hold tho ship up ? I am told tliore is ail extraordinary difficulty in getting certificated cooks, and that some of them aro not as good as those who are not certificated.

Mr. Young replied that it would have to operate within reason. Thcro wero a lot of food-spoilers, and tlie shipowners wero losing hundreds of pounds a year through them. Tons of food were thrown overboard "which was good when it went to the cook but mighty bad when it left him." Peril of Dcck Cargo. As to Clause 12 dealing with carrying cargo or live-stock 011 deck, Mr. Young said they wore opposed to deck cargo of any description, and would liko it to bo completely abolished. If it had 110 C been for deck cargo the Ohau would not have foundered, and tho crow would not have been drowned. They claimed that the dcck should be exclusively reserved for tho passengers and crow, as many men had been washed overboard orTiad' their limbs broken through deck cargo. To tho other clauses they had no objection. Mr. Hindmarsh had an amendment before the House which would have tlioir support—that provided that tho man should have the right, if the superintendent failed, to recover money from the owners in respect to being invalided 011 shore. Immediate Medical Aid. They had also asked that medical aid should immediately bo provided for an injured seaman, and that he should not have to wait, sometimes two or three hours, until tho ship's doctor was at liberty. With regard to life-saving appliances and surf-boats, they had written previously, and hoped their requests would he carried out.

The Minister's Answer. Tho Minister, having thanked Mr. Young for having sfatcd his caso so clearly, remarked that ho had hoped by that Bill to assist thom, and he now found that his energy had been somewhat misguided. Ho would be glad to take Mr. Young's advice nnd malto alterations accordingly. Ho bad seen tho Shipowners' Federation and had asked them to rnak'; their Buggestious in writing, so perhaps, Mr. Young would do the same. Then 110 could ask two representatives from oacli federation to meet, him, so that they could solve some of those problems and in tho interests of both parties. It was useless to put clauses in the Bill which would givo them the opportunity of annoying ono another. So far as medical aid was concerned a clauso had already been drafted which would make it impossible for any shipowner to deny a suffering man immediate mcdical aid. Ho had also drafted a clauso dealing with surf boats. With regard to imprisonment for not joining tho ship there were difficult cases to deal with. It was a serious olfenco for a man to fail to join his ship, as ho upset tho arrangements and caused delay to owners, ma?ls, and passengers. Mr. Young: You don t meet tho convenience of tho passengers or of tho ship by putting a man in prison. The Minister: No ; but you stop other men from doing tho same. Proceeding, Mr. Fisher said he had 110 intention of passing anything which would hurt either side, as ho wanted to better tlio relations between employer and employed. As to tho schedule ho understood tho Federal Navigation Bill was tho most ui>-to-dato in tho world, and ho thought that by adopting tho schedule

out of that ho was doing; the men a good turn.

Mr. Young: No. The Minister: Very well; that is the end of the schedule then; I have been aiming at the wrong target. Mr. Young: Thank you; wo are very much obliged. The deputation then withdrew, Mr. Young promising to submit liis suggestions in writing.