WHAT THE SEAMEN WANT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9795, 19 October 1917, Page 3

WHAT THE SEAMEN WANT

To tire Editor “N.Z. Times. ’ Sir, —In justice to the seamen, involved in this present shipping dispute, I must state that the public arc ol tho opinion that the cause of the present trouble with the mosquito fleet is duo to a new demand made by the seamen upon the shipowners, namely, that of two men in a watch. That is not the case, which has boon grossly misrepresented to the public. The seamen are asking for the restoration of a custom which has prevailed in tlxis class of ships for many years, until the first of Juno of tho present year.

Previous to the first of Juno thero were always two mon in a watch day and night when the ship was at sea. Then, on tho first of o'linc, when the eight-hour day for seamen carao into force, the shipowners immediately gave instructions to their ships’ officers that tho number of mon in a watch was to be reduced from two to one, and it is not- a very difficult matter for anyone to surmise the shipowners’ reason for doing that. It teems very peculiar when one goes back only a matter of a few years ago, when tho seamen were endeavouring to obtain the eight-hour day, which all other classes of workers had. The shipowners stated on oath that no ship was safe at sea unless there were throe men in a watch. Yob to-day, although the majority of these ships have been trading out of this port for tho last ten to fifteen years, the shipowners feel sure that their ships arc perfectly safe at sea with one man in a watch.

What excuse can reasonably justify the alteration of their opinion ? None but the grounds that a little—a very little—of their .large profits will oc required to meet the extra expense of tho working of an eight-hour day at sea. One constantly hoars the cry that tho ships of th® mosquito fleet are not profitably nun. If that is tho ease, why, then, tho large increase that has been recently made in tho Wellington mosquito Hoot? The public of Now Zealand know only too well that the shipowners of this country are not so charitably disposed to run their ships at a loss for th© benefit of the public. i No practical seaman can but admit the- absolute necessity of two men in a watch. Take, for an example, a return made by tho Beard of Trade a few years ago of tho shipping casualties which occurred to merchant shipping registered in the United Kingdom, and it will bo cleanly seen that one has no difficulty in recalling cases of collision, obviously, and even admittedly, caused by a gross neglect of a good look-out, the most elementary of all, conditions of safe navigation. There are many reasons why it- is essential that there should bo a-t least two men in a watch. There is always the possibility of the side-lights or nua-sthead light, requiring attention, or in heavy weather there are a hundred and on© jobs which need attending to, which', if there was only one man on (look with the officer, it would necessitate tho officer cither leaving the bridge to do it himself, or else relieving the man at the wheel to do it. In conclusion, I should like to know the reason why the shipowners wore so persistent in their refusal to entertain tho suggestion of the Hon. Mr Russell being chairman at any conference.—l am, etc., G. F. NATION, Assistant Secretary Wellington Local.