UNEMPLOYED SEAMEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 222, 19 September 1930, Page 9

UNEMPLOYED SEAMEN.

HUNDREDS IN AUCKLAND, i

TRADE WANTED FOR SHIPS.

GOVERNMENT ; COULD HELP.

-- Many are, called but ; . few are chosen on; the'; waterfront these-.days. !.' When the Union Col's steamer Kaimiro berthed at" the King's wharf tliis morningto sign on a: crew, there were • close, on'... 250 applicants, of whom, only 21—nine oh deck. and. 12 in the stqkehold—got-jobs. Another 22. men will ,be signed ;on T the Kurow , when she. recommissions next week, but the remainder' will still be. out of work. ' .J, ' ' ' '

"There are more,seamen ashore "in Auckland now than; I; have ever seeny except' in ' times of . industrial dispute,'' said ■ Mr. T. F. Anderson, secretary ofc the local branch of the Seamen's, Union. "There are 950 members of the union out of work in New Zealand, and though the Kurow aiid : the 'Mafaiiia, -which are to recommission next iveek, will take some of'them, the others: are in a ; bad way."

, ' Phosphate Trade. .J. „ Shipping, interests in Auckland are concei'hcd,, over , tlie slackness in New; Zealand" trade,vand the number of unemployed seaiineii; who will" fall aipoix the community - 'for ftrelief - when: their resources are exhausted. * .The: statement •made in the Houise by the Minis ter .-'of Marine in regard to, the .possibility of employing New Zealand,: ships.- in > the phosphate and-, hardwood trades•/ is. not considered satisfactory by' • con-:, cei'ned. ! Until- a ./few years ago . phps-j pliate was brought*to New Zealaiid by locally: owned vessels, vbut,. recently foreign owners, and - British lines that man, their ships with coolies have .'been able -to quote lower .freights and. have cut out, the' New Zealand ships. .More-, oyer j. modern : appliances have .made, it possible, to discharge from 1200 . to 1800 tons per. day, whereas ' when tlie .New Zealand. ships. had .the trade > they .could rarely put out more than. SQO tons per day,.'and the .'shortening.*of. the. .time spent in. port should reduce the difference in freights. Four or five .New Zealand steamers, each carrying upwards of 4000 .tons, could, it is stated, be permanently eni; ployed carrying phosphate, of. which 127,000 tons were imported into ' New Zealand last year and 150,000 the year before. These ships-would provide .work for at least .400 local men, who would spend-their money in New Zealand. The ships' stores would "be. purchased locally and the ships overhauled here. '

"Two Glaring Examples." ' "If the Government wished to support local industry it would at least ask the British Phosphate COmriiissioners to use locally-owned ships," said one man this morning. "On the other hand, the Government would then have-to set' the example, which is has not done; Two elaring examples'will show the Governattitude. First, the hardwood; sleepers, imported from Australia by the •waye Department are brought in foreign ships. ■ Second,, owing to - the • Maui Pomare being-laid up. at Wellington the Government gave the carnage oMrmt from Nine Island to Auckland to the Swedish motor ships •• in the transPacific trade,- while at , the same time there were New Zealand steamers on their way from Los Angeles which could have brought that produce. -