MERCHANT SERVICE GUILE

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 190, 6 May 1908, Page 4

MERCHANT SERVICE GUILE

i- . ■ 0 eNEW ZEALAND SECTION. !k ANNUAL MEETING. 11 is' Tho President (Mr. Orton Stevens) was i 's the chair at the seventh ailnual meeting i :e tlio New Zealand section of tho Merchar Service Guild of Australasia, ' hold in tl: Guild's Offices, Panama Street, at noon yc 3i torday. Tho annual report seated: — i, 'That in tho matter of membership it wt most satisfactory to note that the total nun bor of members on tho register (302) at tli close of tlio year, exceeded that of any tim in-tho history of tho Association, showin (] th'oreby that certificated; men ivero alivo t O' the advantages of b'eing members of tli organisation. A regrettablo feature was tha y two of tho members had recently met thei s deaths by drowning, and ono from nature causes. Tlio two first-mentioned woro Mi 0 T. W. Hood, chief officer of the Union Coir pany's Kaituna, who was well-known an ,' greatly respected by all who knew him, ail Air. K It. Jones, chief officer of tho shi [>. Glenlui. Both . those gentlemen wcr 1 washed overboard whilst in tho execu tion of their duty. Tho third referred to wa - Mr. Ji E. Croker, chief officer of tho Bier heim, who died soon after that vessel lef • Blenheim on olio of her trips- to-Wollington . Mr. Croker was for, many years in charg of the ship Soukar, and afterwards of th J barque Weathersfield. Letters of condolenc woro sent , to Mesdames' Hood and Croker dnd to the latter a chequo for ;£lO. ■ A . perusal of tlio annual accounts wouli show a reduction in expenditure of the sun of £43 18s. 2d. Expenses in connection wit] providing legal expenses for member amounted to the sum of £84 2s. Bcl., but in eluded in this was tho solicitor's feo (£4 4s. in' obtaining £400 compensation for thi widow of the late Mr. T. W. Hood from tin , Union Steamship Company, also £12 12s. 5 annual retaining fee for the Guild's solicitor b In-actual cash at tho banks tho Guild wa: > .On a better financial footing than it was ; . year ago to the extent of £197, and whei ,■ .taking into account tho extra drain on. tin i funds for legal. assistance, this must bi . considered'eminently , satisfactory; i ■ SHIPMASTERS' ASSOCIATION. ! Laudablo efforts had been made on mor< than ono occasion during-the past j;earby : section "• of the'.' l . Shipmasters' Association •t< | bring s about amalgamation with the Mer ' chant; Service Guild, but without effect ir ■ each 'case. The attempt had not ut-terlj i.' failed, however,: for it had resulted in severa 1 -okl-timc members of tho Gui!d_ Teturnin£ from tho Shipmasters'. Association. .-This L would no. doubt in " t-imo bring about tin . desired end, ..for.,- I ,with each member of th< 1 Guild -who-'was 'promoted to coiiimand re-■maining-true to his, colours, it left tho Ship- • blasters' 'Association. without a recruiting ground from which to draw now members as .■ the • older .• ones', tetirgd. -. . ; ' LOCAL SHIPOWNERS.' N V. As fiym.-jiarch VI,-/IpOS,. tho Guild, had entered. into' ah' agrooiWeht for three years with tha' local - : mombers- of tho New Zealand '(Shipowners' Federation. ' "This provided 1 for wages at the following rates, viz.Masters, £22 10s.;'first mates,. £15; and second mates, £12 per month, in addition to which masters .and, first mates were to be entitled 'to receivo.ton. days'- leavo of absence annually oil full pay,- after having served an employer t for two . years. When this agreement;, was duly drawn up-and signed by all'concerned, it was' proposed to make application to the Minister- for Marino to havo these; declared the' current rates,'s6' that tlioso'owners in other ports in Now Zealand, who were paying considerably below thoso rates, should bo compelled t-o-mako similar concessions. .UNION STEAMSHIP COMPANY. '; ■ .'Negotiations wore proceeding between, tho '^ildsand '--this company, with a viow-to obtaining an increase in 1 wages, and ",bettpr working conditions for officers. Wagos;wero , .asked for as follofrs: — , ' • • dl'a'ss A Passenger Steamers. ;i v ' "" . .. . Ch. .' v 2nd:.':3riL 1 Off Off! Oil. -. Division 1,.'10,00.,it0ns . and ... 1 under. ; v.. -.(£lB ...£l4 , £12 Division II and, 111, 1001- / •; ;* ' tons to'3ooo ''toils.|. ... 19.'.;. 15 , -13 Division'- IV'. and V, 3001 . , . . tons and over 20 ' 16 ■ fl4 , Fourth, officer to.receivo £10 per month! . Class 8,. ICargo Steamers. ■. ,< •' .. Ch. ' 2nd.' 3rd. Off.,-Off,. Off. Division I, 1000 t-ons and ' j ,''; under;.. ; ~..£18 , £14 Division II and III;. 1001 ~ ' ; - oto 3000 tons. ... 1& ..- 14 .12 Division IV and V, 3001 ' tons and over ... 19 15 ■13 That -boiitd'-allowance ibe/paid to all officers at tho rate of ss. 'per*'day, irrespective of whether they aro standing by or! on transfer; That in the ctont of an officer being transferred, to;.a steamer.,' trading, away, from his homo' port,ho vbo .entitled-.'to f'reo tfansit for. family .and -.effects. That thrco. officers he carried pn 'all, tho^Company'9 steamers of ''4rid over ■ 1000 tons gross. .''That after-an .officer -hasj; served the' Company- for ..two years,- ho ;lio entitled to.fourteen days' leave annually on .fillip pay, , or ono nionth every two" -years. -That some' arrangements * ho mado whereby junior officers recoivo their meals away from tlio ; mess-room. * . ( ' f EYE TESTS. -j On the. retiirn: of Sir' James Mills, 1 managing director of tho Union Company, from England, tho.'seoretary had interviewed liini in regard to-the above. He' stated that, a few days previously hb had recoived a, communication from Sir. Walter Howell, of tho British Board of Trade in London, stating that; the Board of Trade intended seeking the advice of its board of o.iperts, as to whether it was advisable to make their test more stringent* ;Until Sir James heard-fur-ther from London, , ho, said ho did r iiot propose to, do anything -m regard to tho mattor. . i Since tho above interview took placo, it' had como to'.tho knowledge of; the'seorbtary. that the'. Company, had utilised this'test "or examination, and one officer had lost his positionthrough.it. Tho executive wore desiroiis of obtaining from all 'officers (chief, second and third)' in; the Union Company's sorvico, a list .of the hours they have, been on duty in each twenty-four hours, both at sea and in port, covering a .period of'ono month; the hours on the 'bridge.--;to-be. distinctly, sot out' as from those on duty in port. - "THE BALANCE-SHEET. . With £126 16s. 9d. brought forward from last year, the credit balance on tho current account was now £308 3s. 8d.,. in, addition to which the Guild had the sum of £479 4s. Id. invested at the Po6t Office Savings Bank —altogether a credit of £787 75." 9d., which was considered highly satisfactory. The report and balance-shcet were adopted. When moving tho adoption of the report, tho President , read an apology for non-attendance from tho Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for. Marino,' who regretted his inability to be present. ' ■ .ELECTION OF OFFICERS. ' Tho following officers were elected for the ensuing yoarPresident, Mr. Orton Stevens; vice-president, Captain Hayward; secretary and treasurer, Captain I). J, Watson; trustees, Messrs. S. A. Atkinson ' and 11. Dixon; auditors, Messrs. Watkins,'Hull,, and Wheeler. At tlio conclusion of the meeting, Hie health of tlio president was proposed by Captain Hayward, and drunk enthusiastically with musical,honours. Mr. Stevens replied iii a happy speech, in which, he wished tho Guild increased prosperity as the years rolled on., -Other toasts .were.also honoured before tho mooting dispersed.