SEAMEN'S PAY-DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 79, 2 April 1914, Page 6

SEAMEN'S PAY-DAY.

DEPUTATION' TO MINISTER. (By Telep-soh.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON", Wednesday. The times and places at whidh seamen especially on email coastal vessels, sometimes received their wages, were discueeed hy a deputation from the Seamen's Union, which waited upon the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, Minister for Marine, to-night. It was stated that men were sometimes given their pay at sea, and sometimes on the eve of the departure from a port. <=o that they had ■no opportunity of banking their money or remitting to their dependents. It was suggested that the shipping companies made payments at these tJinee professedly with the object of preventing the ■men from foolishly spending their money in port, but the deputation pointed out that if the men ■wished to •w'aete their money on drink they could juet as easily do it at the next port, and calls at porte were very frequent on coasters. In any case it was urged that owing to the keen competition no-wadays for work on coa-st&l vessels, drunkenness among the men was rare.

The deputation offered a suggestion that the Government should institute an insurance schome trader -which seamen could protect themselves against lose of wages by fire or misadventure. ' The tMinieter did not think a Government insurance scheme practicable, but suggested that thr , union imigfat institute insurance schemes. Thie, however, the deputation declared was impossible toecause under the Trades Union Act, the Arbitration Act, and the Friendly Societies' Act unions could not levy on members for i-ui'h a purpose. The Minister then suggested that an arrangement might be made by which marine superintendents at forts might receive moneys on account oi seamen, and that they (the seamen) could operate upon thoee moneys by cheque or order, remitting them wholly or in part to their dependents if they desired to do so. The deputation approved of this idea. Mr. Fisher promised to aek the shipping companies to give the eeamen the option of taking their money on the eve of departure from one port or on the (m of arrival at the next, in order that th«y might have an opportunity of putting their money into safe custody adhore. If the Shipping companies did not fall in with tins scheme and act upon it he would make provision for the matter in -the next amending Act to be 'brought down.