SHIPPERS AND MATES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1173, 7 July 1911, Page 3

SHIPPERS AND MATES.

«, COURT'S OPINION. PUBLIC INTEREST -FIEST. Should captains or masters of vessels' and officers of vessels l>f dealt with in Iho ?nnie dispute? Thh question. wl>.i:!i had been subinilted liy the Conciliation Council ill the matter of the Merchant f-'ervice Guild's dispute, and argued in the Arbitration Court by Mr. A. L. Herdman (for His ::u:lcl). and T. S. Weston (for the employers) was decided by the Court in a judgment which was issued yesterday. The judgment states:—'"Mr. Weston, who appeared for tiie employers, contended that this question should bo answered in the negative, lie contended also that, having regard to the peculiar position .occupied by the master of a ship, he should not bo allowed to be- a member of the same union as the officers who aro under his command. It is doubtless essential in the interests of ship-owners raid Die travelling public that nothing should be done to weaken ths authority of a shipmaster, or to impair the discipline of his ship. In a ouestion of this kind the interests of the public sal'etr are of 'paramount importance, and are entitled to more weigh! than the interests even of trade unionism. If, therefore, there is a danger of a shir-master's authori'v being lessened, or the discipline of the c.rew being impaired by reason of the master being a member of the same union as his officers he ought to be nrohibilcd from joining such a union. That, however, is a matter for the Legislature to deal with, and does not come within the nrabit of the Court's legislative powers. "Under the law as it stands now, shinmasters and officers are workers within the meaning of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. They aro all connected with one industry, and are entitlej to form ono union, and to have it registered as an industrial union of workcri under the Act. Such a union is entitled to originate a dispute with employers in conncctien wi f h both -liinniasters and officers, and to have it disposed of in accordance with ths provisions of the Act, The dispute in the present ease was. therefore, properly originated, and the union is entitled to have it heard and disposed of on its merits. In view, however. of the peculiar position of a shipmaster with regard to his officers, "if. appears to us desirable that the dispute should bs divided into two branches. One branch should be confined to the claims of masters, and the other to tha claims of officer-. These, as far a* passible, should be dealt with separately and independently, so that there may lie a separate recommendation from the council in connection with each branch, and so that separate awards may be mode in connection with shipmasters and officers respectively."