132

A.—sa

REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONFERENCE. AGENDA. I. Resolutions submitted by Sir William Lyne:— (1.) That a scheme of compulsory insurance for seamen is desirable. (2.) (a) That the North Atlantic mark should apply to ships leaving Australia, tita Cape Horn ; (t.) That it is advisable to have a light load line for ships in ballast. (3.) That all seamen be engaged only through a Government Officer—the Superintendent. (4.) That advance notes be abolished, and allotment notes restricted to relations only. (5.) That imprisonment for desertion be abolished. (6.) That the adoption of uniform legislation is desirable, with a view to extend the benefits of the Workmen's Compensation Acts to seamen. (7.) That all vessels constructed after a certain date shall be fitted with water-tight compartments. (8.) That all sea-going ships carrying more than passengers, or being more than 5,000 tons gross measurement shall be fitted with apparatus for transmitting messages by means of wireless telegraphy. (9.) That Third Class Engineers having sea service, on passing a practical examination, be permitted to qualify for higher grade certificates. 11. Resolutions submitted by the Imperial Delegation (to be substituted for the notice already given):— (1.) That it be recommended to the Australian and New Zealand Governments in any future Merchant Shipping legislation to insert an express provision safeguarding the obligations imposed by any Treaties which arc now binding on Australia and New Zealand respectively or to which they may hereafter adhere. (2.) That all resolutions adopted by this Conference are understood to be without prejudice to the decision of any legal questions involved. - (3.) That the obligations imposed by Australian or New Zealand law on shipping registered in the United Kingdom should not bo more onerous than those imposed on the shipping of any foreign country. (4.) That, with a view to uniformity, it be a suggestion to tho Australian and New Zealand ministers that in e-xci■-cising any powers conferred on them by legislation to make regulations with regard to matters affecting Merchant Shipping they should have regard to the corresponding provisions of the Imperial Merchant Shipping Acts, or regulations made thereunder, so far as circumstances permit, and that at least three }.. months' notice should be given before any such regulations come into force. (5.) That it be a recommendation to the Australian and New Zealand Governments that if conditions arc imposed by local law on vessels incidentally engaging in the Coasting Trade in the course of an oversea voyage, care should be taken that these conditions should not be such as to handicap these vessels in their trade. 111. Resolution submitted by Sir Joseph Ward :— That the Imperial and Colonial Governments concerned be requested to introduce legislation to give effect to the resolutions of the Conference in cases where legislation is necessary.

SUPPLEMENTARY AGENDA. Motion by Mr. Hughes : — That it be a suggestion to the Board of Trade to take into immediate consideration the necessity of including in the regulations for examination for officers the following subjects directly relating to navigation : — The practice and theory ofjplane and spherical trigonometry. Geometry. Geography, hydrography, and meteorology. Naval architecture and the structure of vessels. The addition of the following subjects to examination on general knowledge:— The English language—Grammar and composition. A knowledge of at least one foreign language.

Sm WILLIAM LYNE : Before we commence, I think you asked Sir Joseph Ward and myself to send in some remarks with reference to the Brussels Conventions. The CHAIRMAN : Yes. Sm WILLIAM LYNE : There is, perhaps, no occasion to read them. I have consulted Mr. Deakin, and I put in this memorandum. (See Appendix D, p. 176.) Thk CHAIRMAN : We will go through them first of all, and see whether there is anything we can confer further upon. We will go through them later on. Hon. DUGALD THOMSON : Mr. President, might I ask, on a question of procedure, if it is intended now to cease adding proposals to the Agenda paper, because if so, I am quite willing to conform to that to save time, as I recognise we ought to get this finished with as soon as possible. There are one or two matters "I might give notice of. The CHAIRMAN : I agree myself, subject to this : there are a good many things that might arise out of the resolutions which have already been carried and which will involve clearing up. Then a suggestion has come from the officials of the Board of Trade that it might be very desirable —perhaps this would not be the time to

discuss it, but I should like the delegates to consider it— there are two minor points where the legal gentlemen who are representing the various interests here might meet to consider some small matters in connection with the Merchant Shipping Act, and the Imperial Shipping Act, and the Colonial Snipping Act. They might confer about these minor points, and then perhaps report to a final meeting of the Conference with regard to them. There are a few things which I feel require adjustment. They are minor points, but, at any rate, they will be subject to the final decision of the Conference. Sir WILLIAM LYNE : I hope they are not such minor points as you have given notice of in the new Act? Hon. W. M. HUGHES : Will you allow me to make publicly a formal statement as to those resolutions that I submitted to you, and which do not appear. Both of them had relation to the status of officers, and on one of them was submitted suggested emendations of the syllabus for examinations. I cannot repeat them, because they were the suggestions made by the Merchant Service Guild of Australia, and I have no means of finding out what they were. The CHAIRMAN : Were they given to me?