SEAMEN OUT OF WORK
SUGGESTIONS TO GOVERNMENT NEW AVENUES OF TRADE NEGOTIATIONS IN PROGRESS Negotiations are in progress with the object of opening up fresh avenues of trade for New Zealand ships, according to information the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates) supplied to a deputation from the Seamen’s Union, the Cooks’ and Stewards’ Union, and the Merchant Service Guild, which waited on him yesterday in connection with unemployment. brief details of the scheme were furnished the deputation in confidence. The deputation was introduced by Mr. I’. Fraser, M.P. The first speaker, the president of the Seamen’s Union (Mr. E. B. Walsh) reminded the Prime Minister of his appeal to the farming community to employ labour and hoped that similar treatment would be given the seamen, of Whom about 600 were at present out of work in the Dominion, eleven cargo and two passenger vessels being laid up. Members of the union were in dire need. One suggestion to meet the present difficulty, he contended, was the employment of New Zealand ships in the Nauru phosphate trade. At present the vessels engaged in that run included twenty-seven English ships, employing mainly Asiatic labour, one Irish ship, two belonging to Denmark, and two to Norway. If New Zealand ships were engaged it would mean the employment of three vessels of the 5677 gross tonnage type, employing each 48 men. Captain F. A. Macindoe, of the Merchant Service Guild, said that in bis twelve years’ association with the guild, he bad never seen seafaring men in such straightened circumstances as they were to-day. Mr. E. Kennedy said that a tally had revealed that 238 cooks and stewards "ere out of jobs. Their names would not be found on the registers of the Labour bureaux, as they would not take pick and shovel work.' It was no use offering them those implements in place of a carving knife. Another suggestion made by the deputation related to the carriage of coal from Australia in New Zealand ships, which is dealt with under a separate heading. Prime Minister’s Reply. In reph-, the Prime Minister stated that New’ Zealand’s agreement provided for the acceptance of 16 per cent, of the output from Nauru Island. The Dominion had no legislative authorityover the Nauru Commission, but some time ago the commission was communicated with on the possibility of difficulty occurring through trade depression, ill regard to the regular use of our ships and was asked,' when adjusting contracts for the supply of phosphates,. to endeavour to give New Zealand ships .in opportunity of getting into the trade ft was understood that the present contracts were due to expire in about six months’ time. The representations of the deputation would be further con sidereel bv the Government, and he hoped it would be possible to open up new avenues of trade that would require further tonnage. Negotiations with that end in view were at present in train. Mr. Coates emphasised that the Government was as much concerned with the welfare of the seamen of New Zealand as were the deputation.
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Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 125, 24 February 1928, Page 6
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512SEAMEN OUT OF WORK Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 125, 24 February 1928, Page 6
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