SHIPPING ACT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2535, 27 January 1923, Page 4

SHIPPING ACT.

QUALIFIED MEN MUST BE EMPLOYED. ON VESSELS’ ARRIVAL AT PORT. Wellington, Yesterday. “The shipping trouble is over,” stated the Minister of Marine this evening. “Instructions have been given to-day to the Secretary of Marine, Wellington, to bring into operation the suspended section 57 of the Shipping and Seamen’s Act, which was held up in order that the shipowners could keep the vessels in commission by employing unqualified men. The suspension of the section has now been cancelled and 1 therefore vessels on New Zealand articles on arriving at their

home ports must comply with the provisions of the Act relating lo manning.”

STRONG PROTEST FROM DUNEDIN. AGAINST RETENTION OF UNQUALIFIED MEN. Dunedin, Yesterday. The Otago Labour Representations Committee passed the following resolution at a meeting to-night. “That this meeting of the Otago Labour Representation Committee strongly protest against the action of the Minister of Marine in continuing to violate a clause of the Shipping Act, which has been reinstated, after having been suspended during the time of the seamen s trouble, in so far as the Marine Superintendent at. Dunedin has been instructed to permit all unqualified labour now employed on board ship to return to their home ports before being discharged from service. This constitutes a distinct breach of the Merchant Service Shipping Act, which provides that only in the event of qualified men not being procurable, then, and in such case, can unqualified men be engaged. Ihe necessary number of qualified men are now available therefore, the retention of unqualified men in the shipping service is a distinct bieach of the Act and is covered by penalising clauses. “It is quite evident that this latest move is purely being engineered on the part of the Shipowners’ Federation and we strongly protest against the law being violated to serve any interests. \\ e now demand that the Government immediately insists upon the Shipping Act being carried out in its entirety. We also consider that the action referred to is a breach of the assurance of the Prime Minister that the Act would be reinstated in its entirety.”