SEAMEN AND THEIR WORK

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 282, 24 August 1922, Page 5

SEAMEN AND THEIR WORK

SIDELIGHTS ON DISPUTE JOTTINGS FROM YESTERDAY’S HEARING It would appear that one of the handicaps of some small settlers on the con’s t of Nelson and Mhrlborough is the infrequency of visits by steamers on which they get their .produce away and replenish -their supplies. Mr. VVII- - Rogers, of ths Anchor Shipping Company, explained in the Arbitration Court yesterday that one of the difficulties of their trade was to pay sufficient visits to all the settlers to take their wool and stock away promptly. Hp knew of cases where .wool had accumulated for a considerable time owing to that. Another case he mentioned was that of Puponga coal, of which a thousand tons or more had accumulated at the present time owing to the difficulty of sea communication. A Question of Worry. The seamen’s secretary, Mr. W. T. Young, spent a great deal of time analysing and questioning a witness on details of wages paid by the. owners of small steamers to seamen in their employ for sl period, of six months. After this had gone on for a while with little result, Mr. Young asked" the witness how it was that one seaman was put down as having received six months’ wages when the steamer was only in the company’s service for gix weeks. The answer was that the man hhd been in the company s service that time, but on other ships. Mr. Young was proceeding to enlarge upon the alleged unreliability, of the return, when the Judge remarked that it did not worry the Court, as they understood the return; Mr. Young replied that it was hard to say what would worry the Court, but he hoped that a great deal more of what had been said on the other side would not worry the Court either. ■ Anchor Watches. Mr. Young was proceeding to question a witness as to payment for anchor watches. “We "don’t (havg anchor watches,” replied;the witness. “Ours is the Anchor Line, but our ships don’t anchor.” A Cravo Error. Reading from an enormous sheet of wages, allowances,- and overtime paid to seamen, Mr. Young said that he had discovered a grave error —in an amount of £lOB paid to one man there was a shilling too little. “Dicbybu pay that man the ahilling?” he demanded from the witness'. “I couldn’t tell yoii; but, if you’re ,right, send the man along and. we’ll pay him the bob,” replied the witness. “I was very careful aboufythose figures, because I knew you would check them A' “Check them,” retorted Mr. Young. “If I lost a night’s sleep over it .I would check it to a shilling; check anything you bring along, or which anyone on the other side brings along.” .“That’s nasty, Mr. Young,” com,minted the witness. “Will I bring you the paysheets, so that you can go over them yourself?” Mr. Young: I’m afraid that is onu of the matters I won’t worry myself about. A Dead Heat—Two Dividends. Going through a list of payments, Mr. Young remarked that two monMartin and Percy —had run a deadheat on payment for overhaul. The witness replied that there was no second dividend. His Honour pointed out that the two men were also deadheating for/wages as well overhaul time. /" ' “Oh, well,” commented Mr. Young, “there’ll be two dividends after all.” Sailors Who Pay Income-Tax.

Explaining the reason why his company Kept such a minute account of payments to the men, every detail being noted, a witness said that they were required by the Income Thx Department to do so. “Do you include ‘holiday pay’ in the charges for income tax?” asked Air. Young. “Of course.” was the reply. "That reminds me, Your Honour/' said Mr. “of the payment of income tax by our men, which should bo taken into account in assessing their wages. It is found that a fairly barge number of our men had to pay income tax on all earnings over £3OO. We may get it. altered next year when a new Government is in power.” "Chop and Change.” Commenting on-His Honour’s ruling about the exclusion of the question of the finances of employers, Mr. Young complained of the manner in which the employers had chopped and changed on this point. They had started the ease with a plea that the st.it.i3 of their finances necessitated a big reduction in expenditure. Defeated on that point, they had raised the question of the bad state of trade, and the ground had now been shifted to the payment of a fair wage. His Honour: I must be considered responsible for that. Mr. Young:-It seem's to me that the worker has greater difficulties confronting him as the years go on. In 1902 Mr. Justice Cooper ruled that wages and overtime would only be computed on profits. His Honour said that it had been the rule of the Court not to consider the question of profits. He remembered Mr. Justice Martin ruling in a match factory case, when an attempt was made to pay very low wages to girls that were working in tho factory, that they must be paid a fair living wage. In South Australia,- in two cases, the Court suspended the awards at a time of extreme financial distress to allow the payment of lower wages by agreement between the parties. Until poverty was pleaded they need not consider it. What the companies were pleading was slackness of trade, and they all, ~ knew that that was the .case -Mb the world over. Here there was a good deal in thq point that tho ability to pay was mixed up with the question of competition with ships belonging to other countries paying very much lower wages. The Court must also consider whether the wages paid during the war period or after had any relation to profits made, but as it was tho employers pleaded neither poverty nor bankruptcy. Mr. Young: Then what have the employers brought us hero for? His Honour: For a review of the conditions and wages. If the parties agree there is no reason why a conference should not be held yet. Mr. W. Scott suggested that the conference could be held then. Mr. Young: Why shouldn’t the Court order it? His Honour: At a time like this we know that the representatives on both sides do not feel inclined to accept the responsibility of determining the rate of wages. It is too great a responlibility. Mr. Young: The union representatives are not averse to accepting the responsibility. His Honour: I am not saying that no effort should be made, but the times are different to what they were two or three years ago. Mr. Young did not see any difference between the parties meeting in conference or coming to the Court. His Honour replied that he did not know why Mr. Young should say that. As long as it was in accordance with the law, he agreed that a conference

was the best way of settling disputes, but in time of stress that might be impossible, for a great deal oi tact was required. Mr. Young: Mr. Justice Martin, in the match factory case, went a little bit further than this Court. He said that, if the industry forced the girls on to the street through a low rate pt wages it would be better to close it up. In 1902, in the seamen’s dispute. Mr. Justice Cooper said profits must be taken into consideration in adjust- . Sc otfc . y 0 reversed that in 1904. , ~ His Honour: If that were so, the converse would also bo the case. A Bad Speculation. The case of the steamer Hina cropped up as the result of a question to a witness. The latter replied that the seamen took her in payment for wages owing. She was not being worked at present. His Honour remarked that the boat in question was worked 70 years ago in Australia as a gunboat. The witness said that he understood that Miss Annette Kellerman was going to nave it blown up during the making of a picture film! Champagne, Cigars, and' Biscuits. It was not clear whether Mr. Young was serious when he asked Mr. Rogers whether he was present at the 1920 conference settlement in the manager’s office, when force majeure” was used —when champagne, wine biscuits, and cigars wire served round. Mr. Roberts replied that he had missed i+. „ . Mr. Yc’iug: I didn’t. It is not often T drink' champagne, but I did this time, and enjoyed it. Mr. Bishop didn’t because he wasn’t in harness ■them In 1912, .too, they were regaled, nut rot with cigars. They did not turn it on in 1917, though. A Compliment. In reply to a question, Mr, Rogers said they had very little sickness amongdt their men. They were a good healthy crowd, and were well treated. Mr. Young commented: “Yes, you do, and it is thankfully acknowledged. In fact, I want to express our appreciation of your great kindness in connection with the burial of a seaman at Port Nelson two months ago.” Boxing and Other Sports. | To a question as to how he would account for the absence of payment for certain days to members of a crew, Mr. Rogers replied that there were all sorts of reasons. For instance, one seaman got off to give an exhibition of boxing, and he proved a good exponent; he did not return to work because he wanted to give another exhibition, but his place was kept open for him. Mr. Young agreed that seamen were good sports. In fact, in their union they had two champion swimmers, champion boxers, and representative footballers. Mr. Rogers said it was a healthy occupation. Mr. Young retorted: “Yes, work makes them hardy.” Holidays. Mr. Rogers admitted that the employers desired to abolish special holidays for the' Waterside picnic and Seamen’s Union picnic. . “And,” added Mr. Young, “the Seamen’s Union, too.” The witness pointed out it was ridiculous to stop work for a seamen’s picnic when so few seamen were in port. . “Will you undertake to bring all your ships to Wellington for the picnic?” he was asked. “If you get another manager for my company you might do that,” replied the witness. “Oh, I’m not anxious for a change, retorted Mr Young. ______________ ,