NEW ZEALAND SHIPPING LAWS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10060, 30 January 1909, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND SHIPPING LAWS.

(Peb Press Association.) Dunedin, January 29.

Mr W. Belcher, Secretary of the Seamen's Union, interviewed by a Times representative re the New Zealand shipping laws and Mr Craig's complaints at Auckland, said it was -a remarkable tiling that J. and G. Craig had gathered together a fleet of sailing vessels since the Shipping and Seamen's Act of 1903 came into operation, acquiring all these vessels, knowing the harassing restrictions of the law. The manning scale for New Zealand was adopted only after close and searching inquiry, but it is not yet as liberal as it should be taking into regard the lives and property at stake. Mr Belcher also cited the profits madte by shipowners to show there was no room for complaint. Changing the register of ships to Australia will afford no relief, as the Australian Navigation Bill wiil sooner or later become law. As to the injustice of returning a man to the port of shipment, it 'had been unfortunately the case that men joining ships in the Dominion have been emptied out at other ports where labor was cheaper.' Re the non-recognition of Lloyds certificates of survey, the Shipping Conference in London unanimously resolved that no-, thing less than a Board of Trade certificate should be accepted. It was a gross exaggeration to say .that a shipowner was liable in a double sense as to workers' compensation, as this 'is not yet law in Australia. As to awards harassing sailing shipowners, that was a piece of imagination, as no sailing shipowner had yet been cited before the Court.