THE SHIPPING BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 204, 28 August 1902, Page 4

THE SHIPPING BILL.

■ The question raised at the large meeting- of shipowners and others held on Tuesday night is undoubtedly one of very considerable importance to the shipping interests and country settlers of Auckland. It specially affects this part of the colony, because nowihere else in New. Zealand are there suck extensive ""estuaries, and nowhere is ,the scattered settler, in an almost roadless country, so dependent upon sea carriage for the con\eyanee of His produce to market. The agitation has arisen in conseisequience ,©f the introduction by the Government of a Bill to consolidate the various shipping Acts into one measure. , It is generally admitted that, from a seaman's ppint:,of view, the New Zealand shipping ■ laws, are •the. iniost liberal-in the world, and in carrying out the proposed consolidation several new provisions from. EngILs'li Acts ha-ve been introduced,, which are acceptable both to owner and seaman. The consolidation itself is recognised as a very desirable thing. But a difference has '. arisen through an attempt which is being made to .strike dwt tt clause of the Bill that re-enacts a provision of the existing law, exempting vessels trading in "extended river limits" from the requirements with respect to manning imposed on sea-going vessels. It is commonly supposed that action in this matter has been entirely instigated by the Seamen's Union; but that is not the fact—tthe New Zealand Marine Officers' Association has been quite as active as the Seamen's Union, and lately issued a circular in which the elimination of the extended river exemption is strongly urged.

It is to be regretted that the' two unions mentioned have taken up such a stand in this case, .because they roust, like other organisations^ rely for their success and public .support upon a policy which is fair and reasonable, and which commends itself to ordinary common .sense. Now, few people, we imagine, will consider it reasonable that a hard and fast law should be passed declaring that every vessel that is engaged in making short '-extended river" journeys of a few hours duration, like the passage from Auckland to the Thames, or from one Kaipara Itiver to another, shall be manned upon exactly the same scale as that which is demanded for a vessel making long

sea voyages, involving regular watches throughout the day and night. Under the English Shipping Jaw the manning of vessels is not fixed by statute at all, but by Board of Trade regulations, for the obvious reason that the conditions of navigation are so variable that the la\VS affecting ships require administering with experience and discretion. Here the only matter which has been left for decision by the Government is the definition of "extended river limits," and if the Marine Department of the colony cannot, be trusted to- determine this question intelligently, some body akin to the Bonrd of Trade should b? set up. For our own part, however, the responsibility may, we think, be very sufely left with the Government.

The abolition of this proviso would not only inflict a hardship upon settlers, upon whom the increased cost of carriage would be levied by shipowners, but it would throwout of employment a largo number of men, who are doing their work efficiently—better probably than men who had been only accustomed to work on sea-going ships. The Secretary of the Seamen's Union. ■ in a letter which we publish to-day, argues that this would not be the case, because the Act would not be made retrospective. But that has no real bearing on the question. The abolition of exemption must result in this, that whatever has been the custom in the past, immediately after the passing of the Tiew Act, its provisions must be complied with, and that, as we have said, will compel the dismissal of many men. who are a great deal better fitted for the particular work they have to do than those who may take their place. It will also close up an avenue of marine employment for young New Zoalanders, and make the occupation of sailors a closer preserve than it now is -for seamen trained outside the colony, the facilities for training New. Zealand seamen, especially under the restrictions of our maritime laws, being exceedingly limited.

To justify such an extreme step a very strong case must be made out; ■but the arguments advanced are singularly inadequate. Various marine casualties within "extended rived limits" are cited, but these occurred chiefly with vessels manned according to sea-going rules, and casualties might be quoted which happened within the shelter of our inner har-bour. Shipowners are bound bj' law to see that their vessels are efficiently manned, whether plying in extended river limits or outside. They are also subject, as to pay. and hours of work, to the Arbitration Court, which, by its decisions after hearing evidence, showed that it recognised a broad distinction between the two classes of shipping trades. With these safeguards, there is no reasonable ground for supposing that the maintenance of the existing law would inflict any injustice on the men employed, or be injurious to the public. '