WAGES OF SEAMEN AND FIREMEN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2137, 12 March 1908, Page 2

WAGES OF SEAMEN AND FIREMEN.

HIGHLY SATISFACTORY SETTLEMENT. STATEMENT BY THE HON. J. A. AIILLER (Special to “Times.”) WELLINGTON, March 11. the settlement of the wages question, between the seamen’s union aud the shipping companies, is another indication, that mutual concilation in ])reference to Arbitration Court proceedings, is becoming popular in tho Dominion, and also that tho results are mime satisfactory. It was agreed at the recent conference, that when the toxins were agreed to, the Hon. Mr Miller should make an announcement to the Press, and lie lias done so in tbe following ■terms:— “I was honoured by being asked to act as chairman of the conference, and felt it a very great honour that I had the confidence of both sides. It was a very great pleasure indeed to preside, as the utmost good fee'ing was shown on both sides; the one desire apparently being to meet one another as far as practiable. Ti ero were a large number of technical matters, which, although not mei.'ing any great increase of cost to the ship owners, were proposed, the effect of which would have been to make, some difference in the present cts-" dit ions, but when the t-ital cost of granting all those was put by, the shipowners before the seamen, doe consideration was given lo their iepreselltativees. The - ;wo principle matters of course were (1) The question of tiie raising of the wages lo the £7 and £9 which at- piesrnt rule in Australia, and seme jears ago ruled in New Zealand. This point was conceded without 1 1 c-o----tion by the owners, as was also (2) the point of increasing the 'wcrt’im rate by 3d per hour for working cargo. Of course when ilie varying interests of the small shipowners throughout the Dominion wore considered, the question of overtime was . bigger factor than lie granting- of iOs per month in wages, but this war grai ted by them, after very full consideration, and the generally express-id dcsiie rived at. on those terms, elan ietaoi was, that if a settlement ecnld he arrived at on those terms, i»<y ciuld see their way clear to concede tl cm. The great advantage of having practical men on both sides was clearly demonstrated, as there was no superfluous talk, nor any extraneous matter introduced, each side knowing exactly what they wanted, and being able to reply without evidence of any sort to any" arguments advanced by both sides. Further it is likely to result, in my opinion, in a much better feeling between the two parties, as whatever is mutually agreed upon, is more likely to be observed than anything which, contains the compulsory element. I was exceedingly pleased at the result, for the sake of the men, as I have known that for years their objective was to get back to the £7 and £9 per month, and I feel pretty confident that the result of granting this will bo beneficial to the shipowners as you will always get better service from a man who is contented with his condition of labor, than from a discontented man, who fancies he is laboring under aiy injustice, and there is no doubt that the fact of the Australian seamen having enjoyed £7 and £9 a month whilst men in New Zealand had not got- it was a prime factor in the dissatisfaction and unrest which has been known to exist in tho seamens union for some time past but judging from the reports as to the manner ill which the proposal has 'been receivetV'hy the members of the seamens union, the outlook for the future is much brighter. The men receive an immediate advantage of between £12,000 and £13,000 additional to the wages at present paid them, which I think will approximately work out between £ll and £l2 per man per annum, and I hope, now that those little differences are likely to be settled, that both parties will work together in the interests of the trade of the Dominion. When I get the result’from the seaman’s union I shall endeavour to arrange for a supplementary conference to settle the details of the award, as both parties have asked that negotiations may be brought- to a final poiut through me. I need only say that my colleagues, who fully approved of my attending the conference, are highly pleased at- its satisfactory termination. Personally I feel pleased with the spirit of give and take displayed by both sides, as without that it v would have impossible to have arrived at such'a satisfactory conclusion.”