SHIPPING LAWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 419, 30 January 1909, Page 5

SHIPPING LAWS.

SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS. ; v ' "•'.' '■■ ' ■■ . •■■■.- ■■"■ ■.-■■. :.• ■-.. ■•■ .-■■ -.'A- ■ ■'."' '■':;.' ':-\'.'- COMPETITION WITH THE FOREIGNER " i; , . [ ; .. THE OVEBSEAS TEADE. /yjy'^M tßr TBCEQBAPa— PRESS : A3a6ciATION.I : ;: . ; ; ;cr '-;■■;Ohrlstelruroh,;January 2?. '\ . With regard to , the telegram 'from Auct" -: land dealing with the shipping laws of the Dominion, a representative:*of -the "Press"/ ;■ had an interview:with Captain. Hi Munro', of ■ * :Messrs. AVH. Turnbull and Co,, of ;this.city, in the-ciurse of. which.. Captain' ,Munro ■~■ pointed' out the, direction.:\ in ;'•' which : .'he *.. .'■;' thought, amendment'of the" Jaw '] was.:neces-.v/ sary. "a; ; /;'.v..'./;: J;.. ,.;.;. ';./■;. :;-■;; ;/'■■; . . ;.'.'The. point is this,"\Captain -Munro; said, -.. "that-.we. do not.fear,competition with'Aus- , .: ■ tralian-bwned vessels.- -Our strongest objec- . r':. tion ;is'; that * foreigners, are/allowed to come' here and; sail.:.their ,, -.vessels just *- as: jthey :■''. •■ please. They pay-small: wage's,' carry-'few/; .. hands as compared with. the. number we .are" 0 compelled !to carry; by the ..manning '-,;. ;sca]e, : V; their dietary scale is-.very. >muoh" inferiorJ.iia *: r. qurs, andthey have no load line restrictions,- -' "and.cbnsequently'.load their,ships as deep as ' ■ ' #ey;.;likeV.v,"AaAa,;.lmatter*-of.ifact,-. the ; whole: 7 \ : . of-."the-' guano, trade to Now- Zealand is: being v-. - 1 ." : done by foreign" bottoms simply because New;i ': ; Zealand. shipoTniers::~have : to conform tb' : so ~:,'■; 'many, regulations,; as 'well; as to manning and H' dietary; scales,-, and.; must also conform :to v :the;,/ loading. ■- restrictions. -\:y. : : ln .view, "of: .. these; ( ■■"'■' regulations,' ' it::'./is .*: impossible' ■'■ ; for;.us to;competb' against■ the'.fpreigners. , '' : We'find no.fauftVwith the manning'scale','-jor -■ ': •the dietary-,s'oale,: hut wor'cortainly'.-resent a ':■ ■'■. state of affairs.'iindor which- foreigners'■-can ': Vcome"and,;cpmpete'.'against, ijs with'.a free -' : hand. _•'• Almost every-other industry: in the. ■ ; Boininiod is protected in some meaeure' by ■ '- the-Customs .tariff, but thei New:. Zealand V: : shipowner is not protectod in any. way:-'.' For-. C ' ■ eigners ./can come and- do 'as they- : think ■''■■;"'■ proper.; ; : I maintain that -. something: should .-.. ■be done: so -that the New Zealand shipowner; '■-'.■; could compete against .'the foreigner "oni'ad-.' , ': i equal fobtirig. That could be done, I think, = : ; by;..charging foreign-owned."'vessels'.-'65. , -"per/; '■'■■■ 'ton- lighf duos and , by cxemptiiig New. . land-kjwned vessels, from 'all lightrdues and . •' harbour -charges , ;in- New-.Zealand, p. In " all-.; : ';' ; trades ashore the proportion "of boys -te men". ; employed is , regulated,' whereas by: "the man-; ; ' l ning scaleVwe'inust'carrythe boys; whether , .:> ;we ;want '-ttiem' 0r.:n0t,.-, and-.on', vessels.;en-:.■• :_ '■ gaged; in -'Borne';;trades• boya •■ are vabsolutely. ..' .useless."' '• ;,: "' , ■; -;VC' ■? : : : *: : .-!-.''.::'■ .',! v.''-- ')'';.':■ "Captain-Munro gave some details'regarding •.'■,": ■'■ the;'decrease in the number of ;New Zealand ; '\y} : vessels engaged' in overseas trade. '.'lAt 'nthe;- , ' ■'} Bluff,vhe'pointed out;.there was-only^'one : ; : New Zealand-owned ".vessel, of.the ~ class, . ,men».'.: - '; .tioned," : ':the Ganymede. -"A. few , years■ ago : ;. Itho'rej.were^several. , ';-: At Diinedin-there.se'-'jaot-.-;.-:. only one yesseUjthe-Helen.Denny,,ow£ed- in 5 ■ that.city.■■At.Lyttelteh,:where;thereXUEed. : to;-. : ;-'; Ibe a -fleet of such vessclsi ■■ there': are' now ■ 0n1y.,: - ; '. itew, , theßonaand the Bankfields.'Theroiisv/; only one -vessel, - the -Helen-DennT,..' owned :iu' : .'('? Wellington. ;; There used .to.. several.!. ; , ,:■ owned.-■•'in -Napier.; .-present. .5, , there.■!' •;.' The; ..bulk-'ot^'"New Zea-:;-: land-on'ned \ yessele : '■':■ .engaged ,9 . 'm-'-Jvove'r-' , .'. ■seas f.. trade .belonged ; ; to J. Auckland.; "■':: ; He ."■'■- furthef-. pomted _ put that :boVs.were .' being?:.; : trained for tho;sea on the .Government train-'.;.. ing ■ ship '■: Amokura, .but he • asked'. what was '■~;-"; : to'/b«bmo;'iO|r."--these::lipys'.fif-;NeTV..' i Zealand-'-;-' : -',- • owned;sailing eliips were.chased ont of.the' . v trade? . Ho,took it;that.boys did not require,. to be trained.fo^work of .steaciEhips. : •'-;. ..■.';;;'.

;; have;always looked ,ppon-the Hon.; fit. ;MiUar as ,a fair-minded man,"; continiied Captain' Muriro, , "but',.his that 'if . Now Zealand endeavoured to evade the New;; Zealan d: shipping.laws byjtrans-; ■f erring":to. the Australian register, legislation, would, have to'be : .p,^ssed'to. make it; unre-: munerative'-. for .them. J to, ; ,do so;; shows what ■-■w^'can' ; TSlifiisfiSP;.'should•";t?kV■ up'i-thexmatter,; and' Bee if ■ho"cah'''ame"nd the that No\y ; Surely; e'omething/ootdd' be ! 'done to assist ua instead :of-forcing 1 us/to evade the-NewZea-.land law.; The- number of-, pffi6ers';fhat" small .coasting; vessels-'have to: carry, is, in Captain' .Munrb's: opinipn,"i»pr'epbsterpus..;■..;• Steamers liketheßippl?'"and- the : Storm when trading: out ,'of- London , have: a man:? abo'a'rd;/them.. In ■ New; Zealand ' they had to ; carry- -fire : certificated.:•• officers, the captain,.tw6.;'o|ficers, : 'and\tw.p.'engineers., As: to New.'Zealarbi/shipowners registering , their' vessels- at Sydney,; he'said that he failed to see'what was-to be gained by doing so. Vessels 'registered at ■Sydney, When they came to made to'.'6oniply : with' the' New Zealand-manning;scale'and conform to' thef'N.ewfZealand regulations: as to the fitting 'oi >life'; boats.'. ,'At present .there are about' sis, fpreign-own'ed' sailing : vessels > and one ; steamer 'engaged.in: the trade between.; New' Zealand aiid Australia, v .but. the' New. Zealand' Bhipowker oould:;not; run against tlieirrrates.-. The' .New Zealand ..vessels; had to gg'across in ballast. .The owners found it bettor to ; do. offered, unjess they got; a remunerative'rate: It wa3 : foiindibetter to.'Beild.the'vessels'.ovefin ballapt; ;. ; as":: the: : ; :> the.;, vessels- _ woiild be delayed ;in taking 1 in and ; discharging the dargo from New Zealand was uncertain. Captain -Munro 'did not -consider that:-the :Gp>. 'vernment. snrrey of right where they; hold .Lloyd's classification; -Both.'/the .Rona and Bankflelds are registered at Lloyd's, 1 and- "consequently; if meant-; that double • sur-. •,vey fees, hadlto, be., paid 'in respect to-'them.-; On'one: occasion the; Rona was! delayed '\<a. ;DuriediiV i^ fortnight, waitiiig-on'.-tho dry dock; simply because the Department would not' let: her go to. E€&;. notwithstanding that she holds ■ the highest'class in: Lloyd's. '..-The fees for the , Government .'-survey of this: vessel had.been ;£8 10s., whilst- Lloyd's'• fees; amounted : to. £2 "2s:; The :&overnment .did not demand' a' higher- standard as;compared with,that de-, inande'd by Lloyd's.; - Intact, ;the Government ? standard- and' Lloyd'.s were almost .'equal atmeeting.,',';;;; ,■;;''■?..:.;■„ V ,:.;:.':';. ■ - ;; . .' ■ .:.:' : f: .V."'--"..

VIEWS OF THE SECRETARY OF THE - SEAMEN'S UNION. .(dJ : TEI.EGEAPH—PBESS ASSOCIATION.) ! ' ' Dunedin, January 29. ! Mr. W. Bolcher, secretary of the Seamon'a Union, interviewed by a "Times "• reporter I rtffiardmg tho .Now Zealand shipping laws, ! and Hγ. Craig's complaiuts 'at Auckland, i'said:r-;'V;'V-'. ■;;'■..•;.■■■••.■■'',•.■■.:■.■■■■:■ -''i -;. '. _"-...;• ;-.-:-, : '■•" It■ ■:is 'a' most- : iein'orkabse '-thing- that Messrs. ,'J.i:andiJ. : Craig gathered together their fleet of .sailing vessels since 'the Shipping .and Seamen's- Act, -1903,' : camo into, acquiring all these vessels knowihgtho ;harassing restrictions of- the'law. ";■,The manning. scale'in/New.Zealand was adopted . only.'after ! close arid ."'searching;inquiryji but .is not. yet.as; liberal as; be in re-; gard to. the ■■ liveß and property at stake.' , ' ; '-"Mr.* ! Belch'er also:cited,the;profits made by shipowjiers 'to ;BhpW;:tliere '■ was : uo : ropta' forcpmplaint. (' ."■'■.'-■-".-■ : --"-;. ■'■-.";' .-■-" '"■-',''■':■<:-- " The charging : of "the' register .of a ship to, Australia; would ' afford-:no. relief,- as, the Australian; Navigation Bill, would sooner or later' become, law: ;As'.to- the. injustice of return-; ing. a .niau:to the.'port of•■ship'tnunt,.it hadbeen unfortunately the' case:that men' joining, ships in tho D.omiuian. had been emptied out at other ports where labour wis cheaper. ■ As' to, the' non-recognition 'of Lloyd's. certificates: of■■srirycyy'the 'shipping conferenco in London -unanimously resolred that;.nothings less: than': the Board. of. .Ti'ade certificato: be accepted.:. It : was a. gross'; exaggeration to' say ..that asliipowmir .was liable in. a-double sense as to:workers' compensation; as this, was not yet.thejawjin Australia. As to. award-V harassing sailing. ship that was a pieco of imagination; No. sailing ship "'■ owner.had yet been cited before the- Court; ■: