SEARCH FOR WORK

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 50, 21 October 1931, Page 4

SEARCH FOR WORK

PEVALENT UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE MERCHANT NAVY. OFFICERS AS WAITERS LONDON How unemployment has affected the officers of the Mercantile Marine is revealed in the half-yearly report of the Officers' (Merchant Navy) Federation, Ltd. The federation, which represents 12,000 certificated officers, has knowledge of 1040 unemployed captains, navigating and engineer officers in the United Kingdom, and it is believed that there is a large number of non-federated unemployed officers. This unemployment is not confined to senior officers, but has crept down to the most junior ranks and ages. "We have information," states the report, "of at least two ships which have been entirely manned on deck by certificated officers, and there is a considerable number of officers who have signed on in the forecastle in ships ordinarily manned. "It is almost impossible to use words of exaggeration in describing the plight of some officers. One master mariner, with an excellent record (including a decoration for war service), writes to the effect that he is glad to earn a few shillings at occasional work of scene-shifting, and augments such earnings by the sale of newspapers. Others are cleaning windows, working as waiters, and selling goods by door-to-door canvassing. "Several are living in London in. destitute homes, and are definitely known to be walking London daily, diligently seeking honourable employment. One recently, in his weary seareh, collapsed exhausted in the street near St. Paul's Cathedral." Greater Co-ordination. The federation understands that there is a movement on foot to carry out the suggestion of the Prince of Wales, Master of the Merchant Navy, that there should be greater co-ordina-tion among the charitable organisations working for the sailor, and the hope is expressed that speedy progress will be made in that direction. With regard to uncertificated persons being in charge of ships, the report states: — "The British Government is, with perhaps one exception, the only Power which has not expressed agreement with the principle that all vessels (other than small craft) should carry properly certificated navigating and engineer officers. "The attitude of the British Government is the more perplexing, in view of its knowledge of the degree of unemployment which unhapily exists among certificated navigating and engineer officers." The federation has expressed to the Board of Trade the hope "that the official view of this important matter may be revised." The report also states that "despite the acute unemployment among British officers, no change has as yet been madq in the regulations which permit ships wearing the British flag to carry foreign masters and officers when trading between foreign ports."