THE NAVIGATION CONFERENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 132, 4 June 1907, Page 3

THE NAVIGATION CONFERENCE.

SUCCESS OF THE NEW ZEALAND DELEGATES. "MOKE THAN SATISFIED.''(From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON. April 26. Tlie Colonial Shipping Conference has ono more sitting to hold before its business is concluded, but only minor points remain to be dealt with, and the main business of the Conference may be considered as settled. The feature of the proceedings has been the success achieved by the New Zealand delegation.

"From out point of riew," said Sir Joseph Ward to your correspondent, '■'the Conference has gone very well indeed—better than I expected, in fact. Most of the resolutions were proposed by New Zealand, and we have got practically everything we asked."

Summing up the results of the Conference it may bo said that praotically all the more important questions for the discussion of which the Conference was summoned have been settled to the satisfaction of the Australian and New Zealand delegates. The net result has been to affirm the power of the Australasian colonies to deal with their shipping questions practically on their own conditions, and the resolutions passed at the Conference should result in the removal of most of the existing anomalies, and in encouraging the employment of British rather than foreign seamen. The relation of the various questions to existing foreign treaties will be dealt with at the Premiers' Conference.

The great point gained, from the colonial point of view, is that British and foreign vessels employed in the coastal trade of the Australasian colonies must conform to the colonial shipping laws. Hitherto they have only had to comply in the. matter of seamen's wages, but now they will have to fulfil in all respects the navigation laws of the country in whose coastal trade they engage. Several minor points had also to be conceded by the British shipowners, who withdrew their opposition on finding that the Boar 4of Trade and the Colonial Office wore inclined to favour concession. The Conference were thus able to carry unanimously a recommendation to thr- Board of Trade to the effect that preference of employment in the mercantile marine should be given to British se;vnni. This was another victory for the New Zealand delegation, by whom the resolution was introduced. Speaking generally, it may be said that the Xew Zealand delegates scored more paints than their Australian colleagues. The latter made larger demands in some instances, and also tvied ■to amend some of the New Zealand shipping laws, but in this they were opposed by the Board of Trade and the. ' shipowners. Sir "William Lyne, for instance, on behalf of Australia,, tabled a motion making it compulsory in future thai seamen (the term includes all hands except the captain and apprentices) should he insured —one half of the premium to be paid by the seaman, anrl i the other half by the shipowner. X<".v ! Zealand has already a measure on the Statute books providing for compensation to seamen in case of accident, and J the same principle was recently adopted Iby the Imperial Parliament, who brought British seamen within the scope of the "Workmen's Compensation Act. Consequently, the Board of Trade and the British shipowners upheld the Zealand law, and Sir "William Lyne : s motion was lost.

The other points settled by the Conference were mostly of minor interest. With regard to the manning of ships, a motion proposed by Australia was defeated, and it was decided to leave each colony to deal with the question in its own way, as each has power to make laws for its own shippicpr. The general opinion was that it would be impossible to lay down hard and fast rules about manning, because two ships alike in tonnage might be in other respecte of a different nature altogether. From what I can gather, I think ifc ; can safely be said that the New Zealand delegates are more than satisfied with ! the results they have achieved on behalf Jof the colony. SEVENTH SITTING. The- Shipping Conference held its seventh sitting on Monday last. The following resolutions were adopted:— I (1) WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION. That the adoption of uniform legislation is desirable with a view to extend the benefits of the Workmen's Compensation Acts to seamen, as has been already done in ithe United Kingdom and 2sew Zealand. j The representatives of the British j shipowners dissented, and recorded the iview that some system of compulsory insurance for seamen should be adopted. (2). LOAD LINE. "That the Commonwealth adopt the provisions of the 2STew Zealand Act regarding load line." The Imperial delegates abstained from voting, on the ground that as the New Zealand Act gives no power to alter the Board of Trade mark imposed on any ship, the matter appeared one for the decision of the Commonwealth Government. (3). DESERTTOX. 1 ""That imprisonment for desertion be abolished, in the country in which the seaman is engaged, except in the case of a peaman who, after negotiating his advance note, wilfully or "through misconduct fails to join his ship or deserts before the note is payable. Provided that, in respect to desertion from ships other than those (a) registered in the Commonwealth, (b) whose final port of discharge of the crew is in the Common--wealth, deserters shall be placed on board such vessels upon request by competent authority; in the case of "a foreign vessel, the consul of that country; in the case of a British ship the captain."' ' l

Sir W. JLyne was not present when tms resolution was passed, and it m3y. therefore, hare to be reconsidered.

The representatives of tho British shipowners moved the following rider, which was not accepted by the colonial delegates: — "Provided that, if imprisonment for desertion is abolished, the shipowner be relieved from all responsibility for the repatriation of a deserter, and that no penalty be imposed on the shipowner by the State in which the deserter is left for leaving such deserter behind." " ;({*);. WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY.

"That the desirability of the provision on board ships carrying passengers of an appartes for transmitting messages by means of tireless telegraphy should be taken into consideration by fche BoaTd of Trade and tie Australian and New Zealand GoTernments." : A discussion also tok place with regard to each of the following subjects: Engagement of seamen, requirement that vessels should be fitted with watertight comgaibnents, and serried qraßfic*.

tions for engineers' certificate 3* &nt no resolutions were adoptedlon these svbThe Conference to Monday, 1 April 29th.