ARBITRATION COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 26, 31 January 1902, Page 5

ARBITRATION COURT.

SEAMEN'S DISPUTE

The Arbitration Court reauniecl hearing evidence in connection with the seamen's

dispute on -behalf of the Sailors' Union this morning. His Honor Mr Justice Cooper presided, and there were also present Messrs S. Brown and R. Slater.

Thomas Fernandez, the first witness called, deposed that he was a seaman, and was lor some time employed on • ne p.s. Wakatere, running to the Thames. He was on her about two years, me men on deck commenced working cargo before the vessel started. On the passage from Auckland to the Thames and back, the ordinary sea watch was not kept, all hands were on deck all the time. No watch was kept while the vessel was underweigh either day 01 night. From an account he had kept of his time he estimated that his clay's work averaged about 11 hours. He had on several occasions complained about th 3 manner in which the men were worked. He generally complained to the first mate. He never got any redress for his grievances. On the 7th of December last, being (lie Ponsonby regatta day, they starter! work about S a.m. and the boat leit the (wharf at noon and went into the stream. They had no dinner hour that day. and no specified time was allotted for tea. They were kept on duty ill! He afternoon and until the steamer reached the wharf at 7 p.m. They were then called upon to discharge the remainder of the cargo from the Thames, but they refusi.'d to do so. They asked for overtime, but the captain refused to grant it, and all those who declined to work wore discharged. When he returned to the steamer about half-past ten p.m. to gather Together his effects, the second officer informed him that the captain had ordered no one to be aliowed aboard, and he consequently was ordered off, and could not get his effects until next day. On several occasions they had discharged cargo at :he Thames late at night, when the work could conveniently have been done the nexc inorning'. After one trip -the Wakatere arrived an the Thames at 10.30. p.m.. and they then set to work and completa.'l 'discharging the cargo by 1 a,m. Thi work might easily have been performed the next day, before the steamer sa!.lpi! at noon. -Ho considered that the limitation of a day's work to eight hours would be beneficial to the men. He thought )hat the sot hours for meals a.« set down in the schedule of demands could be worked on' vessels lying at the wharf or in a. roadstead.

By Mr Kiinson: It was an exceptional occasion when the Wakatere ucti'd as flagship, and but for that the work would have been completed within ordinary hours. The officer had said he could not pay overtime. He did not know that this was because they were working under the award. It would be Impossible when a steamer was leaving at Vl.'M p.m. for the men to have their mouls between noon and 1 p.m.

John Knecn, secretary of the Auckland Branch of the Seamen's Union, deposed that he had hud IS years' experience on the1 sea, both as an A.B. and as second mate. He had worked a considerable time. He worked in the steamers Gairloch and Cie-lmsford for some mjuths. 'Yhile in the latter vessel it was a. common occurrence to t;ikc in cargo after 5 p.m. He had seen shippers send cars-j down after 5 p.m., and none oC th'.^ had gone into the sheds. The men w.)rkud until this cargo was all loaded on th-j steamer. It often occurs that late cargo comes down after the hatches have be.-n put down. and the gear had all to be :;jt out again. When engaged on inside running hil never received overtime. While on the Chelmsford he once had time off in compensation for overtime, but 2/ was stopped from his wages. Eleven and twelve hours usually constituted a day's work. He knew of two instances, one on the Waimarie, and the other on the Ohinomuri, when men were volun^irily given

"time oft"" for overtime, lis thpught the clause limiting' the clay's w.ork to eight hours' would, if put Into operation, considerably reduce the nurnbsr of hour.-; per day. He thought the system of keeping a record of overtime as employed by the Union Steamship Company woukl be practicable on the vessels of t lie Northern Company's ileet. lie woull mane this apply to the whole day. The men signed to work at any time, and they were called upon at any hour and never knew when they were really llnistied. He

hnd had considerable experience in the Islam) trade in the steamers Gvnlau ami Hauroto. The steamers culled at Samoa and Tahiti. They arrived at Tallin ->n the Saturday, and worked the next day, which was the- French Sunday. The next day they reached Mangaia, which was their Sunday, but tha me!) were kept to work, and got no .Sunday ut all. This was caused by the steamers crossing J:iie 130 th meridian .of iongitu-.N, He suggested that the vessels observe i Vie Sunday on shore, and not that on the ship.^WhUa he did not want to have Lwu Sundays in one week, it was unfair for the men uot to have a Sunday ar all.

By Mr Ranson: He went clown ihp wharf two ur three time.-; every afternoon. It was except'oivil for late cargo to go into the' sheds. As secretary of the Union he had taken complaints from the men to Mr Hanson, and haa always been treated most fairly. He had no fault to !ind with the niaaa.^mritsnt of the company. There was, U'T though:, far too much petty tyranny of the officers. 'Die Ngunguru left for Whanrfuivi on Sunday morning instead of on Saturday night, in accordance with v request from the men, who thus had Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning- oft".

By Mr McGregor: He had heard of friction between the officers and nteu o£ the Union Company with regard to overtime, but" he thought that tha calculation of time worked by men on steamers plying within river limits could be easily calculated without a great deal <~;.' clerical work.

By Mr Belcher: When the Northern Company's vessels were in port on Sunday, one man at lea*=t had to remain on board to keep watdi.

This concluded the evidence in support of the case for the Sailors' Union.

Mr Kennedy said that he would not address the Court nor call evidence until the Court sat at Wellington.

Mr Leyland, representing- Leylantl, O'Brien Co., Ltd., owners of the Stella, then ad-dre-ssed the Court. The shipping interest in their business was aji auxiliary to the business. It was unfair to tho seamen to give firemen three and t half per cent, increase in wages. His compajiy had been exempted from the award of the Arbitration Court in 1897 and 1900, and from the award of the Conciliation Board provided that the same wages then ruling were paid. The Stella being engaged on exceptional work, no time table could be formed. He showed that in the round trip to Wharekawu or Whananaki for a raft of logs, tha men worked a tota.l of 20 hours. Owing to the Federal tariff the demand for kauri timber had. almost entirely ceased. They were at present under a crisis. The price of timber had gone up, and standing timber was taxed as property. He felt confident In leaving his case for the consideration of the Court.

Rhoderick Fraser deposed that he was a carpenter, and had previously been employed on the Stella at £7 per month. He thought the short days were 'equivalent to time off.

By Mr Kneen: He had some experience in the scow Oban before he shipped in the Stella.

By Mr Belcher: The Stella carried three A.B.s and one boy.' They were sometimes lying to for as much as eight and nine days, with the raft astern, waiting for favourable weather. The Stella carried two engineers and two firemen. thG latter working on six hour watches.

Alexander MeKenzie, ' captain of the Stella, stated that about 90 per cent, of their towing was from Wharekawa. between Tairua and Whangamata. The number of rafts averaged about four per month. Mo did not think the men's work came to anything like eight hours per day. He never attempted to tow in rough weather. They had sometimes waited fourteen days on account of rough weather. The Stella had been lying for thirteen days during this month at the Quoen-st. wharf, as she could not work in this easterly weather.

By Mr McGregor: He had worked on the Waipu service and the men must necessarily have a considerable amount of time at Waipu. He thought the men should be always at hand. The Stella coaled only once a trip, and the coaling lasted only two hours.

Mr Parker, representing the owners (Messrs Parker, Lamb and Co.) of the Akaroa, said that the Akaroa was running e-'-^Hj- on the same Hnes as the

Stella, except . that the wages were a little higher. Firemen were paid £8 10/j sailors, £7 10/. '

Mr .J. Stewart, representing the Northern Union Steamboat Company, did not propose to address the Court. Their company was working on similar lines- to the Coastal and MeG-regor Steamship Companies, The Court at this stage adjourned until this afternoon. til thisaftcrnoon. (Proceeding.)