AN INTERVIEW.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 46, 24 February 1902, Page 2

AN INTERVIEW.

LASCARS ON MAIL BOATS,

FEDERATION,

SIR FREDERICK SARGOODI INTER-

VIEWED.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, this day,

Sir Frederick Sargood, the Victorian politician, volunteer, and merchant, arrived in Christchurch on Wednesday night, and left for Sydney by way of Wellington on Friday. In an interview with a representative of the "Lyttelton Times," he explained with reference to the attitude of the Imperial authorities towards the employment of Lascars on mail boats, that the Commonwealth had decided to let contracts in future to none but employers of white labour. This of course would not affect the contracts already. existing with the Orient and P. and O. lines until their termination some three or four years hence. Sir Frederick's own opinion, based on his personal experience of the mail boats, is that it is a great mistake to employ white men as stokers. Quite apart from the unfortunate propensities which European firemen almost inevitably develop, it is really impossible for them to stand the strain imposed upon them, and it is therefore far more advantageous to employ Lascars. With reference to the relations be-1 tween Australia and New Zealand.. Sir Frederick thinks that a treaty of reciprocity is highly desirable, and that Its conclusion should not prove very difficult. He firmly believes that Australia will show every inclination to fall in with any reasonable proposal for the mutual benefit of herself and New Zealand. The distance of this colony from the centre of the Federal Government is, in his opinion, a very sufficient reason for her refusal to entertain the proposal of federation, but there is no reason why she should suffer on this account. LABOUR LAWS. During his stay in New Zealand, Sir Frederick has made a study of the working of our labour laws. He considers the process of conciliation to be •one that requires very careful handling on account of its liability to beget a class of professional agitators, a class far too easily called into existence. The powers of the Arbitration Court are, he thinks, very rightly and properly allocated, and he states that the Victorian workers prefer arbitration to the more gentle method of settling the differences between themselves and their employers.