MARINE ENGINEERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3058, 20 April 1917, Page 4

MARINE ENGINEERS

• ' ' / QUESTION OF EXEMPTION MILITARY SERVICE BOARD HEARS EVIDENCE . The position of maiino ciiguiotis and dock olhceis on vessels trading on tho Now Zealand coast was discussed further before tho Second Wellington Mih- , s taay Service Board on Wednesday. Tho board had hetore it tho adjourned appeals of tho following engineers, who had been drawn m tho ballot:—John Edward Bish, Charles Brebner, Eobert 0. Cozens, James A. Alexander, Franj ois L. Crosby, Gooige Cunningham, Alexander 0. Donn, John E. Dugdalc, x Robert W. Elliott, Gcoigo Flucker, Alexander G. Kyle, Herbert J. Knowstubb, Charles E. Lawless, Gilbert Sionaghan, James W. M'Gill, David M'Donald, Slalcolm M'Lcod, Frank l'egler, Gordon ,M. Kennie, Henry Shacklock, Charles M'L. Smith, William Thomas, AVilliam J. Williamson, and Louis I. Ziman. 1 Mr. W. A. Konnedy, Wellington, manager foi tho Union Steam Ship Company, said that tho company was suxiolis to assist the military authou-

tieu by all tho means in its powet But it had studied carefully the position with relation to tho engineers, and was satisfied that tho withdrawal of tho men who had been selected in the ballot would mean nothing less than a disaster to tho coastal bhipping service Tho company at present employed 350 engineers, of whom 225 weie in the First Division, 87 in the Second Dhision, and 38 over age. Tho Third Board evidently Lad tho impression that tho company was not doing its best to replace tho young enginceis 'At tho hoard's request, therefore, en-

gmeers wero advertised for in all the

Now Zealand papers, and a direct appeal was also made to marine cngineeis who were known, to have shore occupations Three hundred employees had already loft for the front, and as the company had promised to keep then positions open, any appointments made c Mould only bo tcmpoiaiv Consequently, tho repliqs leceivcd vycie not numerous All tlfo employees who had left received hilf-pay, which meant to the company the expenditure of £20,000 annuall). That sum was likely to increase I_~The minimum nurnbei 01 enginecis to i man the company's fleet, iccordiiijr to tlie Seamen and Shipping Acs, vias 289 Tho extra men required fo> efficiency ■ and safety numbered 38, and those lor a working margin to co\er sickness, holidays, etc ,23 In response to the advertisements and letters 53 applications had been received for sea posis tions from marine engineers now on £ shoie Twenty-six of those were ineligible for appointments, four had since been withdrawn, one could not be found, and threo had gone into camp, leaving a balance of 19, and a total of 369 men available Deduct from that number fifty engineers diawn in the ballot (less ten exemptions),' that left i a balance of 329 men, oi a deficit of 21, compared with tho woikmg lequncmenls (350) Of Iho 29 suitable menreferred to as having answered the company's appeals, five were in freezing •works, two on harbour board dredges, one cngmcei to a gold mining company, one engineer to a rope and twine company, on engineer to a fish and trawling company, and two were employed on boats other than the company's. AH occupations were more or less essential Mr Kennedy added that tho comi panj was not overmanning its ships It could have no interest in doing anjthmg of the kind » Tho margin that nas allowed was necessary in order to secure safety and efficiency. The company's ships wero all engaged m essential services They were not catering i / for pleasure traffic, and it was a fact that some of the sci vices wero rot 1 paying their way He could bring cv idence to show that tho piesent coastal services were inadequate; the position > would becomo grave if any additional vessels wero up Ho asked the boird to consider tho desirability of exempting all manno engineers, many of whom preferred to enlist rather than Jaco the ohance of being chosen m the ballot Many of the marine enginecis who hcTd shore jobs were in important appointments, and the company had been blamed for inviting somo of them to return to the sea The coal stnko was forcing the company to ar- , rango a diastio curtailment of seivices.

' The chaiiman Qlt. J. W. Poyiiton): "That will relieve many engineers?" Thomas R. Wallace, secretary of the Marine Engineers' Institute, said that lie thought the Union Company was working on a very small margin. It would bo impossible to Replace tho men w ho had heen drawn in tho ballot. Tho chairman said the board appreciated tho importance of the points that had been raised. Probably it would ■ refer tho matter to tho National Efficiency Board. A" decision would be announced on the following morning. Appeals lad heen made also for tho exemption of two deck officers in the employ of tho Union Company. " Tho chairman said that "tho facts wore clear. Tho hoard would consider ' 'the position, and give its decision on , the following morning. BOARD GRAMS EXEMPTION- ' SHIPPING SERVICES CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL. The position of marine engineers and ideck officers employed in tho New Zealand coastal sorvice was defined yestetday by tho board. The board made a I general ruling, to tho effect that first, ' second, third, and fourth officers and first, second, third, fourth, and fifth engineers engaged in the shipping services would be held to be exempted. ■ It was explained that a marine en'.gineer holding a third-class certificate • / would bo held exempted even if ho j.was filling a lower position on. a ship or was engaged in shoro duties.by a shipping company. , In the courso of a general, statement 7the chairman of the board (Mr: J. W. Poynton, S.M.) emphasised the importance of the coastal service. '-Now Zealand: differs from othor largo countries of tho British Empire," ho said. "South Africa, Canada, and tho Australian colonies are compact masses of land, with internal arterial land communications, making thoin largely' independent of the tea,. Our Dominion is entirely different in configuration. We tire mainly separated into two small islands,'each of which has many centres of population, whoso only means of • intercourse with . each other 'and the rest of ,'tho country for heavy traffic is by sea routes. It is obvious that in such a country as ours sea traffic is of vital importance, and anything that interferes with it must hamper the idevelopment of tho community. . Our laws are very strict regarding tho manning of sea vessels, requiring each to be fully staffed with the requisite'number of officers, including engineers. Those cannot be replaced so readily as othor hands. , "The groat majority of qualified 'en- ' pincers', on our steamers are in the Krst Division, and so aro liable to ho nailed up within the next few months. -From tho nature of their work, and the nigh standard of fitness required for it, there nnißt necessarily be few rejects amongst them. To call all, or even many, of these men up for ser,rioo would he'tp bring about the almost total cessation' of our sun'traffic, with great resultant loss and inconvenience to- tho community. We have consid-ftjed-the possibility of replacing these

men by qualified men now on shore, but are satished this'cannot bo dime: Shoio engineers who hold marine ceitilicates are- engaged in lrcezing works, harbour board dredges, rope and' twino woiks, fash trawling, workshops (as iittors,' turners, arid other occupations of hko nature), and would not bo ULely to leave- such good and peimanent positions lor a temporary engagement at sea. "Tho decision of tho board is that i'i ail casos of.marine engineers ahovo tho sixth grade, and s-hips' oflicers abovo tho fourth' grade, whether the appeals aro by the employing companies or by tho men themselves, tho appeals will N be adjourned faino die, to bo le\lowed again bcfoio the First Divibion is exhausted, tho employing companies undertaking to at once notify tho niilitaiy authorities m Wellington -when any men in such grades are paid off o. ohango then present occupation Tliis decision will enable the board, it a cjisis occuis, lo reconsider tho cases if at any time it is necessary, and allow as many awaj as can be possibly spared, cvon ll it involves a temporary cessation of some of .our seaborne tiathc At present such a com so would rot ho justified." ill Kenned), who leprcsentcd the Union Company, said tho boaid had not dealt with his suggestion that theie should bo no enlistment of ship ofheorb and enginoeis regulaily employed The chairman said that the board had no powei to ginut am general exemption The matter might bo refcned to the .National Efficient-} Hoard But it appealed that each case would have to be dealt with separately, smco tho nulilaij authonties would not know what the leseivist's status icaily was: until, his appeal had been made. A man could not be. exempted merely because he was described in the National Register as a marine engincei. The officers and engineers could understand clearly that they weie not shirkers ah long as they remained in their present positions' Exemptions undci tho general iiilmg already g'ven would be subjeit to an undei taking by the company to leport tho fact to the military authorities diiuttlv ono of the exempted men left his occupation. The botrd consideicd separately sevei.il appeals mado by engineers who were graded lower, than fifth engineer. Conditional exemption was granted m four cases, and ono appeal was withdrawn by Mr. Kenned), the man concerned having left tho ser.ice and entered camp.