ON ETIQUETTE AT SEA.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1960, 17 January 1914, Page 6

ON ETIQUETTE AT SEA.

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HAPPENINGS DURING STRIKE.;

SOME MISUNDERSTANBINC.

According to news received' in .Wellington by tho latest mail from Sydney a most important development in tho relations between tho marine engineers of Australia and those of New Zealand is now pending. Hitherto all marin-o engineers have been members of the Australasian Institute, but at tho present time there is en active movement on the part of the Commonwealth members to bring about severance from New Zealand on grounds that have been eot out in a. manner more candid than, flattering. As the subject is one of very widespread interest, a few of the objections of tho Australians may be formulated. New Zealand marine engineers, it was said, have ropeatedly opposed members' rights' to a ballot. Under the present rules a Federal council governs the institute in the four-year intervals between conferences, aud no ballot can bs taken without the permission of ths council, New Zealand having opposed Sydney, Brisbane, and Newcastle in the attempts of tie latter to hare this adjusted. What the Commonwealth engineers hold to be an unpardonable breach of etiquette, however, h what they im« agino to have been the action of New Zealand engineers in serving as firemen and trimmers, in contravention of Kulo 87, and thus it is urged importing industrial trouble into Australia. The Commonwealth men had decided to abido strictly by this rule, but they now state that the New Zealand engineers ignored it. In tho circumstances tho Commonwealth engineers desire to bring about a severance between the two countries so far as the Institute of Marino Engineers is concerned. A ballot is being taken on tho subject. The foregoing is the summary of tho Australian view of things. Real Reason for Ballot. £~V"' On inquiries being made by a Dominion-reporter yesterday it- was ascertained that the ballot which is now being taken, has nothing whatever to do with the action of tho Now Zealand engineers' during tho recent strike. Tho question at issue concerns only tho government of tho Australasian Institute as a wholo, and the proposal to take a ballot was decided upon long before the striko took place. At prosent the New Zealand Institute and tho Australian Branch are affiliated, and even if the ballot does decide in favour of two separate iusitutes being formed, a working agreement will still be in operation between tho two countries. It is understood that a four-fifths majority is required to bring the proposed separation into effect. The ballot should be completed about the end of March. That "Breaoh of Etiquette." Referrring to th© "unpardonable breach of etiquette" which it is alleged has been committed by New Zealand engineers in "serving as firemen and trimmers in contravention of Rule 87, and thus importing industrial .trouble into Australia," a prominent official of tho Institute said that members of the New Zealand branch of the Institute had not broken the rnlo referred to. "As a matter of fact," he continued, "our engineers did not sign on as firemen and trimmers on any steamers during tha period of tho striko. All that our members did was to instruct the new Arbitrationists in their work. Sometimes tho amateur firemen became so seasick that engineers had to firo tho ship for a time to savo her from going into danger. This is provided for in our rules, and tho wholo report from j Australia can, therefore, bo absolutely discounted." Engineers and tho Guild. It has been stated that a working agreement exists between th* Engineers , Institute and tho Merchant Service Guild, and also that the engineers aro , I taking a ballot with the object of can' celling the agreement. From inquiries made yesterday', it was learned that from reliablo sources that tbore ia no euch agreement in existence, and no ballot ! is being taken on the above question. Thero has boon a conferenco between "tho executives of tho respective bodies, and certain proposals have been submittas a basis for an agreement, but that aIL ' -