RISKS OF SEAMEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2649, 21 December 1915, Page 3

RISKS OF SEAMEN

IN THE WAR ZONE DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER. The question of how far the officers and men of the mercantile marine on ships which enter the war zone are by the war provisions was brought before the Minister of Marine (the Hon. Dr. M'Nab) yesterday by a, deputation comprising Mr. John Hutcheson, Mr. L. 0. H. Tripp, Captam M'ln'doe (secretary. cf the Merchant Service Guild), and Mr. T. Wallace (secretary of the Marine Engineers Institute;. , Mr. Hutcheson _ said the Wellington War Relief Association had considered the matter of how far .the members of the mercantile marine • would_ be legally eligible for participation in benefits from their fund. The general weight of opinion of members was that the constitution of, the association was sufficiently elastic to include the men of the mercantile marine, who might be allied under the name "auxiliary." However, it l had been thought advisable that Mr. Tripp and himself should ask the Minister's advice, and to ask also what articles the seamen <>f the mercantile marine on transports'-- were engaged on, and how far they calne within the scope of the pensions and benefits generally. Mr. Hutcheson added that a complete aild satisfactory -arrangement had been evolvecl'by the Board of Trade at Homo, which covered all the branches of the mercantile marine in. Great Britain. The purpose was that they had felt that such things as industrial strikes on ships at' this time should be avoided and made These men were really an army, service corps, carrying articles of trade, and they were all engaged in the work of tihe nation, i The Minister: "You are referring to those who are on troopships also?" Mr. Hutcheson: "Yes.'' He continued that if this practical' recognition were given of the element of danger in the work the men could then be engaged for a definite period and quasinaval authority would rule. Captain M'lndoe handed in a copy of the schemc operating' at Home, which provides that in the event of an officer or seaman being killed or injured from c/ar risks, compensation would be paid in accordance with the Admiralty scheme for fleet auxiliaries: If the crew. of' the vessel were employed and paid by. the owners of the .vessel, the compensation would be administered by the War Risks Association in which the ship was entered at the time of the accidentj under agreement with the Board of Trade. In the event of the vessels not being entered in any War Risks' Association at the time of the loss, t'h'e Liverpool and .Loudon, War Risks . Insurance Association had undertaken to administer, the compensation. . The scheme did not apply to crews of ships employed and paid by the! Admiralty or 1 the War Office. In such cases any compensation due would be settled direct by the Department concerned,: ill; accordance with, the agreement' under which the crews were engaged; Dr. M'Nab suggested that the deputation should also interview the. Minister of Defence, who controlled the transports, and thus had the greater number. of New Zealand ships vtrading -within the war zone under his 'jurisdiction.'. He and the Minister of Defence cojild then confer on the matter. This course was agreed to. In proposing the toast of "Our Boys 1 at the Front,'' at the annual reunion of the Beresford Street Old Boys' Association, Auckland. Mr. W. A. Beddoe, Canadian Trade Commissioner, irentioried the fact that 300 ex-pupils of the school had volunteered for active service. He said he felt sure that these 300 could account for at least 600 Turks or Germans. The next one or two years would be' years of memories. When these men returned from the front tliey would cherish memories of many a battlefield, tender memories of fathers,, brothers, or comrades fallen, beautiful niemories of heroic virtues, exultant memories of victories • won, glorious, memories of those wlio had returned with tfiem, but, saddest of all, would be the memory that the Union Jacli was covering many of their old schoolmates and comrades. That emblem already covered ■ six, of t'he Beresford Street boys and hundreds of others-.who were now sleeping a'dreamless sle6p in the sunbaked valleys of Gallipoli. Messrs. C. W.,Price, and C<x by. public auction to-day at . 1.30 a catalogue of furniture,- also an Overland motor-car . and a 7 h.p. Indian : motor- , bicycle. •' , , , Woods' Great Peppermint Crne, For Coughs and oolds never fails. Js. 3d.* | The Wellington Golf Club will hold a tennis tournament at .Heretahunga on December 25 and 27, the, proceeds going to the Red Cross Funds. ,