VALVES IN SHIPS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18526, 30 October 1925, Page 13

VALVES IN SHIPS.

; QUESTION OF OPERATION. , i DONKEYMEN.OK ENGINEERS ? | i>SISS ASSOCIITIO" TSX.IC-SAM.I j Al CkLAND. October «!'. | On m,. charge of im imidat ie>n ariiin~ I of i-hc Samoa's strike ag:sin.«t th»j Now Zealand Federation of Swunou, | officer v. urn ssos were called by the pn- ) wufion with a. view to showiu~ tb*i f | ioliowing; tbo issui-i of a circular iircmci) to work the. valve.-. though I accustomed to do .no ior many ye-irs. J tin Mr M . T. Young beginning hi I trosspoxaniraauo'n. the M-ististr/ito said * t .' n \ ,only question the Court bad to wciao war. whether the men bad refused lo do work they to ba*c. done, and t*h<M.b#>r their refusal was the result of the issue of the circular. Mr A (jirng: Well, t-hc be>t thing is to sit down and say nothing. Labour Department. quoted " two authorities showicur that tbe. action of the men was a breach of tbe award, and contended that, tbe action of tbe executive, of tbo Seamen's Federation "as an inducement- to an unlawful strike.. The Defence. Mr cung, opening for the defence, said the prosecution bad proved no signature to tho circular sent out to tbo men directing them that, they snould no longer work valves or any other kind of machinery in tho cu;';iuerooni and stokehold of a. .ship. As a matter of fact., he. was authorised < n prepare the circular by tbo executive of the I'tderation, and took full responsibility for it. No one should operate valves unless lie wai> a. duly certificates engineer. He contended tbo otrard illegally imposed on donkeymcn and firemen tbe duty of looking 'after engines and auxiliaries, but with »• vieiw, no doubt, of extricating itself from any legal issue that, might be raised as to its jurisdiction, the Arbitration Court inserted the words ' as customary" after tho word "auxiliaries." "What did the men do?" con tend od Mr Young. They told the engineers they would not work the valves. They ! did not leave their work. They simply refused to carry out something that .vas unlawful, and should bo unlawful under section 21 of tbo Seamen's and Shipping Act. 1908. An engineer was au officer, and was required to hold a, certificate. An' incompetent man could not do the work of an engineer—attend to machinery. Mr Young alleged that many of the Northern Company's vessels were undermanned so far as engineers were concerned, to tho danger of the crow .and passengers. Union's Objection. Tbe Magistrate: What does it matter to you how many engineers a vessel carries? Mr Young: "When a ship is undermanned our men are required to attend to valves. The Magistrate: What is tbo objection to your men attending to valves? Mr Young- It is illegal. Tbe Magistrate: So that is your objection. Is the work hard? . Mr Young: It is a matter of confining our men to work for which they are paid. The Magistrate: There is no. liarm in them doing this work, then? Mr Young: There may be a lot of harm. Inexperienced men. may blow up the ship. There are cases where inexperienced men have been severely injured through attending to valves. Mr Berendeen: Can you cite a ca.se3 Mr. Young said that in Australia 3 man was killed through steam escaping through a .valve. The work was illegal and imposed additional hardship, on the men. Regarding the refusal of the men to work, Mr''Young said it would have to be proved that tbo command was lawful heforo the prosecution could succeed. Patrick O'sShea, assistant secretary of the Federated Seamen's Union at< Auckland. said he had worked as a greaser and donkeyman in ships, bub it was never- his duty to attend to. valves. John Kvdd, Government Inspector of Machinery, and Captain Thomas Atwood, marine superintendent, were also called as witnesses. The Court adjourned until to-morrow.