THE WAIAPU’S VOYAGE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1562, 19 September 1905, Page 3

THE WAIAPU’S VOYAGE.

HOW THE LABOR LAWS INTERVENED,

Saturday's Auckland Observer, in a leading article referring to a well-known Gisborne resident and bis sohooner, states : “Several weeks ago, news oame that there were twenty-five shipwreoked sailors on Malden Island, a low-lying guano rook Boma distanoa south of the equator and the local sohooner Waiapu was chartered to convey provisions and water for their succour. To load the vessel, which is a handy craft of 57 tons provided with an auxiliary screw, was a small matter. But to oomply with the requirements of the labor laws and obtain permission for her despatch was quite a different affair. The first objection taken was to Martin, the master and owner, going in command. He is a thorougly competent skipper, and has run the Waiapu in the coastal trade for seven years, but that did not count, He had no foreign-going certificate. A master with a foreign-going certificate must be found. It was useless for Martin to protest that he knew as muoh about navigation as any foreign-going master. Either he must go up for examination, the vessel lying in the harbor and the shipwrecked crew waiting for their provisions in the meantime, or a new master must be found, “ Captain Martin yielded to the sisua tion. He engaged a foreign-going master. Then objection was made to his mate. He had no foreign-going certificate, though he is one of the best mates on the coast. Captain Martin engaged a foreign-going mats. Then a secoud mate was ordered. Captain Martin and bis mats both offered to fill the position. They were rejected. The second mate must have a foreigngoing certificate. Eventually, after searching the highways and by-ways, a certificated second mate found, Then the question of able-bodied seamen arose. Captain Martin and his mate offered themselves for this humble position, but they had not served the stipulated time, before the mast, though they bad been at sea all their lives. They could not be A.B/s. Finally, after an A.B. seaman was fouod, the!' master and owner and mate were allowed to ship as ordinary seamen, the lowest position on board next to that of cook, Thus there were five officers, one seaman, and a cook on the vessel. After all this delay, aud seeing that the 25 shipwreoked seamen were languishing at Malden Island for food and water, it would be thought that the Woiapu would, have been allowed to. start on a mission of mercy, But not so. She was an oil engine oraft, with an auxiliary Borew, and must carry au engineer with a foreign-going certificate. Now, Captain Martin is a certificated engineer, and can take bis own oil engine to pieces and put it together again, but he only holds a ooa3tal ceriifioate. Why he should not be as competent to work his engine at Malden Island as at Lyttelton is not very clear. However, the Department would not consent to him being engineer, and as it waß impossible to oarry more officers, the screw was absolutely taken off a vessel starting out on an errand of mercy, and she was deprived of the aid from the oil engine. Was there ever a greater farce perpetrated in the name of labor legislation ? “Then the last stage in the farcical comsdy of redtapeism run riot was enacted, The wife of the owner of the island, wishing to join her husband, desired to go as a passenger. This the authorities would not allow unless a stewardess was shipped. To overcome the difficulty the lady decided she would sign on the ships articles as stewardess, whioh the law would permit, but at the last moment she ohangod her mind, and took passage by another and more oirouitous route. Eventually, after the law’s delays had wasted a fortnight, the Waiapu sailed with her food and water for the shipwrecked Bailors. If she had been allowed the use of her auxiliary engine, the voyage would probably have been shortened several days, but depending solely on her sails, Heaven alone knows when she will arrive at her destination. Comment on this story would be superfluous. It shows, however, what we are ooming to iu this allegedly free country.”