413

A.—4

-19 June, 1911 ] British and Foreign Shipping. \llth Day. Mr. BUXTON— cont. tion in principle. But in this case the Resolution should be more definite and restricted in its language. But the Resolution, as I read it, and as it has been explained by Sir Joseph Ward, proposes to go considerably beyond this, and I would beg the Conference not to act with precipitation, but to give heed to the views of the United Kingdom, whose commercial stake and interest in this matter is so very great, representing as they do nearly 90 per cent, of the whole tonnage of the British Empire. I know that the professed object, as stated several times in the course of the discussions of the Conference, is to improve the trade relations between the Mother Country and the Dominions. We much appreciate this object. But in effect will the action proposed carry out the intention ? May it not tend rather to the opposite result ? We want to know exactly how far, and to what extent, the Dominions desire to exercise control over the ships which come on oversea voyages to their ports, which do not take part in the coasting trade, and we have to consider what would be the effect of such legislation. The Australian Navigation Bill, to which reference was made the other day, does not propose to impose on British and foreign oversea shipping the local legislation as regards manning, wages, and conditions of service, accommodation, &c, which is applied to ships registered in the Dominion or engaged in the coasting trade. But T gather from the explanation of the Resolution given by the Governor of New Zealand to the Colonial Office, and from Sir Joseph Ward's speech, that New Zealand at least now wishes to go considerably further, and, to quote the words of the Governor, which was explanatory of the Resolution which Sir Joseph has moved : " desires to be freely permitted to make its labour legislation applicable to all ships, whether registered in Great Britain and Ireland, or elsewhere, while in the territorial waters of such Dominion." As Sir Joseph Ward has pointed out, the question, from the New Zealand point of view, is one largely of economics. T understand their point of view in reference to wages, conditions of labour, and matters of that sort, and certainly I have considerable sympathy with it, and would regret to see it adversely affected. But the Resolution, as far as T understand it, would constitute a very grave departure, and would affect us very seriously over here, and it raises some important considerations which we have very carefully to examine. What does it include, and how far does it go ? What are " labour conditions," to which reference has been made? These, as usually spoken of in New Zealand and Australia, comprise many matters which are not specifically dealt with, or are differently regulated, by the Imperial Merchant Shipping Acts. These "conditions " comprise two classes of questions. In the first category are questions such as the duties of various ratings on board ship, rates of wages, payments for overtime, leave, &c. These in New Zealand and Australia are regulated either by special enactments or by the awards of a court of arbitration, and therefore statutory, whereas they are regarded in the United Kingdom as matters of agreement to be settled between owners, masters, and seamen. In the other category are included questions of manning, of crew space, of accommodation of officers, and of provisions and medical scales, &c, in which the Dominion requirements, as applied to the coasting trade, differ in many respects from those imposed by the Imperial Acts on British ships; or which, as respects their own laws, are imposed on foreign ships. What is the actual proposition? Is it merely that the statutory wages prevailing in Australia and New Zealand territorial waters should be paid while the ship is in those waters ? This might conceivably be done, though it would be difficult to work out, and might be evaded. But do not "labour conditions" go much further, and involve new accommodation, officers' accommodation, load-line, coal capacity, manning scales, &c. ? How can these conditions apply to vessels only while within the territorial waters of a Dominion, as appears to be implied ? How can special obligatory conditions as regards these matters be carried out as regards oversea and round voyages except under a system of uniformity, which can only be obtained by an Imperial Act ? Most of the requirements involved cannot easily be varied, or varied at all, for part of a voyage. A British vessel to sail from the United