FEDERATED SEAMEN'S UNION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 187, 7 August 1916, Page 8

FEDERATED SEAMEN'S UNION.

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING. THE ANNUAL SESSION. The annual session of the executive council of the Federated Seamen's Union of New Zealand, now being held in the ■Ferry Buildings has, up to the present, dealt mostly with formal matters. The election of officers of the Council for the current year resulted: —General president, Mr. D. Donovan; general vice-pre-sident, Mr. George T. Nation; executive officer, Mr. William Belcher. Mr. W. T. Young is the general secretary by virtue of his office at the place where the head office of the union is situated—Wellington—nnd is not elected by the executive) council. Hie trustees elected were Messrs. Jas. Fraser and Andrew Collins, both of Wellington, the auditors being Messrs. L. M. A. Rearden and A. H. Cooper, also of Wellington. Communications were dealt with from the Huddart-Parker Company, with reference to the discharge at Sydney of three stokehold hands engaged at Wellington, who -had been informed at the time of discharge that they could re-sign if they so desired, but the company had decided to carry no seamen on articles that had been engaged iv New Zealand. It was resolved that the matter be held over till later in the session. A communication was dealt with from the Union Steam Ship Company, complaining of the detention of the Coriniia at Wellington or. June 14th. After fully considering the matter, the council unanimously resolved that the union member responsible for the detention be reprimanded, wfithout further punishment, as he had forfeited five days' wage*, and the Department of Marine had barred him for fourteen days from signing in another ship. The council also dealt with a communication with reference to the exemption of seamen as a class from military Bcrvice. Durins; the discussion it was pointed out that tho British Government had some considerable time ago laid down tho policy that seamen on the "Mercantile Marine should not be enlisted for serviie with the. forces, and some months ago the Commonwealth Government of Australia had adopted a similar policy. In the communication the Minister of Defence stated that lie was not personally inclined to exempt seamen as a class, and thought the policy of the Government for men to first enlist and then make application for exemption should be adhered to with regard to seamen. He stated, however, that the request of the council for exemption as a class would bp referred to the Recruiting Board for decision. A communication from the Wellington Trades and Labour Council, asking the support of the council in an effort to amend the Arbitration Act so as to make it plain that the Court of Arbitration should possess full power to award preference of employment to unionists, was also considered. The communication was the result of the recent case at Wangamii, in which a non-union barmaid refused to become a member of the Hotel Employees' Union in the prescribed time, for" which the Wanganui Court imposed a fine, but on appeal to the Appeal Court the decision of the Magistrate-;w«?rcvcree'dr;an<l the learned Judgee in their separate judgments in the case expressed conflicting opinions regarding the principle involved. The executive council unanimously resolved to support the Wellington Trades Council, and to request, tho Government to amend the Industrial Arbitration Act so as to make it plain tliat the Court of Arbitration shall have undisputed power to grant preference to unionists in an award or industrial agreement. Tlip action of the Auckland Harbour Board, in granting the use of a room in the Ferry Buildings for the session of the council was referred to in terms of approbation, and a resolution was unanimously passed thankinsr the chairman and members of the Board for their kindness and hospitality to the council and organised seamen represented by it. Consideration was given to a claim for overtime for the s.s. Arahura crew for work performed in the Gisborne roadstead oTi May 30 and 31, and a resolution instructing the Auckland local branch to take step 3to enforce the agreement with the owners (Union Company) was passed. "