SEAMEN'S WAGES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2113, 2 April 1914, Page 6

SEAMEN'S WAGES.

PAY-DAY PROBLEMS.

MINISTER OF MARINE INTER' VIEWED.

A question,of some importance to sea-faring men —that of devising soino hotter system than at present prevailsof paying seamen their wages—was faisedby a -deputation representing tho Wellington Seamen's Union, wliieli iiiterviowed tho Hon. F. M. -B. Fisher (Minister of Marino) last evening. Its members wero: Messrs. W. K. Smithyman, (secretary), A. E. KitcMngham (vice-president), F. E. Ilowell (acting-assistant-socrotary), aud Gco. Miller. Mr. Kitchiugham said that tho need for a better system of paying seamen their wagos existed, chiefly in respect to.the smaller coastal vessels. Ships of this class had been lost and tho crews had lost not their effects only, but their monoy as well, through having no opportunity of placing it in safo deposit. It would bo better if wages, wero paid while vessels, wero in port, so, that seamen might havo an opportunity of sending tlio money to their dependents. Mr. Smithyman said that a mistake had,been made in reference to tho Moa (recently blown up off Wanganui). It had been said that the members of tho crow were paid at sea. As a fact they v/ere paid in port, but wero not given an opportunity of leaving the shin before she sailed and so had to take .their money with them. One way of safe§iiarding the interests of seamen, Mr. mithyman' went' on to suggest, would be to institute an insurance scheme. If the Government took up the work, he said, as an adjunct' to the operation 'of the Government Life Insurance Department'and insured seamen'against loss of effects and wages, by fire or misadventure, the business might prove pro- , Stable.

. The Minister said that he thought the union itself ouglit to be ablolto devise and administer- a more satisfactory insurance scheme. .■■-.'' Mr. Smithyman replied that the union was debarred from doing so uuder the Friendly Societies' . Trades Dnion and ■ Arbitration vAbts. He stated that eqmb big outfitting firms in England undertook insurance of seamen's effects. For instance, a nian wKp bought'a suit of oilskins could insure it against loss by firo or misadventure during a period of eix months by paying a premium of ninepence. ■'.■,.'' , In answer to the Minister it , was stated that, cases were on record in which seamen had been paid at sea, and numerous others iii which they were paid immediately before the ship sailed. • Tho Minister said he aid not think it reasonable that men should bo compelled to take theii ,, wages on the .'eve of onibarkatiori, and so run a risk of losing the money. -Ho would.approach the shipping companies and ask them to give the me , . 1 ! the option, of- taking their wages either on the eve'of embarkation or on the ove of arrival at tho .next fort. If the companies did "npt accede to this request he wO'ild make the necessary provision in a Shipping and Seamen Amendment Act wiie.i one came down. "I suppose," added.the Minister, "that in. most cases men' would prefer, rather than take their wages oh the eve of departure, that the money should bo held for-.th'em b>; the . Superintendent of Mercantile Marine?" i

To this the. members of the deputation assented, and Mr. Smithyman mentioned that in Great Britaia a scheme was in operation- under which the Board of Trade'received money on behalf ; of searr.en and held it at their'order, >or paid it over to t'heir dejtendents,' and, if necessary, transferred it from one place to another through the Post Office. The Minister promised to, obtain de-' tailed information regarding this scheme, and to consider its application locally. Ho remarked that a consideration with the shipping companies was the delay of ships t'nat sometimes resulted when men went ashore with their wages. Members of the deputation said that this trouble was much leas frequent than itiused to be. Q-.ving'lo.tho influx of eeamen from abroad, there wa3 keen competition nowadays for work on ships on the-New Zealand coast, and men who acted in an irresponsible way wero apt to be drummed out. The Seamen's Union as well as tho shipping companies took action against sucn offenders. Tho Minister said that it was -only .-fair that Eeahien who wished to save their money should be given the fullest possible opportunity of doing so, and he would be glad to confer with the shipping companies and to tako the other steps he had indicated.