COLONIAL SHIPPING CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13009, 10 January 1908, Page 3

COLONIAL SHIPPING CONFERENCE.

EFFECT ON BRITISH SHIPS

(most odh own correspondent.) LONDON, November 29. New Zealand's shipping laws ami the action, of the representatives-of the Dominion at the recent Colonial Shipping Conference are already beginning to have effect hero. An unofficial conference' took place on Wednesday evening of representatives of the National Sailors' and Firemen's Union, the Cocks' and Stewards' Union, t-ho Shipwrights' Society, the Marine Engineers' Association, and tho Amalgamated Society of Engineers, to &cc if something could not be done toward arriving ax some basis for the manning of British ships. Among those present was Air Bell, of Sydney, who is a native or Lyfctelton, .New Zealand. Mr J- Havelook Wilson, M.P., presided, and read extracts from the proceedings of the Coiifereiice. laying stress on observations made by Sir Joseph Ward and the reply he dT©w from the Board of Trado officials that undermanning meant unseaworthiness. The thanks of tho British mercantile marine, ho said, wero «hie to New Zealand and Sir Joseph Ward for what they had dono —an observation which was greeted with loud applause. As a result of the Conference, an influential deputation yesterday waited upon, the Right Hon. D. Llovd-Goprge, M.P., President of tho.Board of Trado, and asked that the Uoard of Trade Advisory Committee should be recommended to .(ike the question of undermanning inttj consideration. Mr IJoyd-George at once promised that this 6hould be done, and ho described as "ghastly" a- list of deaths and desertions that lrad taken plaeo on a well-known Atlantic linor within two years, wliilo he said it was "monstrous" that cooks and stewards should have to work sixtoon, and even twenty hours a day. It may be added that the men's representatives jxiid a great tribute to the new ocean fliers, the Lusitania-and the Mauretania, and tho ventilation and comfort of tho men, it being pointed out that out of -the hundreds forming the crew and staff there had only been three changes at the end of the voyage. On oik> of tho older liners theTe hnd, it was ctntH. been 181 desertions in New York in two years. All the delegates were profuse in their pratitnde to New Zealand for the lead that hod been given.