Parliamentary.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 15 July 1901, Page 4

Parliamentary.

(Our Parliamentary Reporter.)

Shipping Laws. Wellington, July 13.

The Member for Marsden made a strong attack on our shipping laws—as they affect the employment of your youth—in the House this afternoon. Years ago, said Mr R. Thompson, there were quite a large number of youths on the vessels engaged in the coastal trade north of Auckland, but at the present time owing to the Shipping and Seamen's Act. there was not one apprentice employed in the coastal fleet in the north of Auckland. Many of his constituents svero originally seafaring people, and -their boys preferred that life to any other, but now the tendency was to go into vessels sailing from Australia. A few years ago he endeavored to get the Shipping and Seamen's Act so amended is to provide that ship-owners should be allowed to employ two boys, who would be c'assed as one able seaman, but he was uuable to get it carried. It would, he urged, be in the interests of the colony if they laid it down that every -ship should carry at least one apprentice, By that means they would, in the course of a few years, be in the position of being ible to man the coastal Sleet with their nvn men. Now, however, the employers would not employ apprentices, as they contended that they had to carry a full complement of men, and they did not see why they should train apprentices at their own expense; and, so long as the present law remained in force, they would not do so.

Farmers' Unions. Scarcely a day is passed but some reference is made to the Farmers' Union from one side of the House or the other, and its probable benefit and objections are canvassed at considerable length.

The Premier is certain that it is the National Association in disguise and he stated this afternoon that he had reason to be a little suspicious of it since he had heard that the Government had been threatened by it. Unions, he went on to say, were good things whether of farmers, working men or any one else, " Union is strength " added Mr. Seddon, and it was right and proper that the farmers should combine for getting their produce to market at reasonable rates, and for ensuring attention to their requirements by the Govarnment, but when such a Union commenced to lay down a polite call programme he contended that it was not a Farmers Union at all, it was a political organisation and it looked to him a resuscitation phoenix like of the National Association, Shops and Offices Act. Employers and employees alike are affdeted by the Shops and Offices Bill. They are combining to prevent its passage into law. Bank officials are a class supposed to be directly affected by the measure which is brought in to provont " sweating " of clerks. That they do not regard the Bill in the Fghfc of tho former measure is shown by tho fact that soma seventy employees in tho Wellington bank* las; night decided to use every effort to defeat its passage, and finally appointed a commiitce of eleven, including four accountants, to take steps immediately for a petition in that direction. Co-operation of other banking officials throughout tho colony is to be invited. Employers warehouses and other businesses affected are taking action in a similar direction.