ARBITRATION COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1915, Page 6

ARBITRATION COURT.

A SHIPPING DISPUTE. By Telegraph.—Pi ess Association. Wellington, July 3. The Arbitration Court has filed its award in a dispute between the Wellington Merchant Service Guild and sixteen owners of vessels of gross registered tonnage not less than 100 tons and not more than (500 tons. The Court stated that it had great difficulty in making an award owing to the services a.fTectcd being conducted under such varia'ble conditons. The Guild sought to have overtime paid to officers. The Court, however, was unable to adopt this course, <is doing so would have placed the officers in a position in which their interests would have conflicted with their duty, whkh was to minimise overtime. Moreover, the Court was satisfied that the extra cost entailed by such provision would prohaMv have resulted in several ships affected being put out of commission, or, at any rate, being worked at a heavy loss. _ The Court realised the anomalous conditions existing, under which a seaman's earnings are sometimes greater than an officer's, and to meet the case had increased the pay for masters and officers. Masters are to receive £"25 a month wliere only one mate is carried, and £23 10s where two mates are carried; chief officers to receive. JEW, aild second officers ;£lo, with fourteen days annual holidays on full pay. The award will come into force 011 A9ugu3t 2.