WHERE DUTY LIES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3005, 16 February 1917, Page 6

WHERE DUTY LIES

FOR ENGINEERS

ALSO FOR SHIPPING COMPANIES

APPEAL BOARD'S HINT

Yesterday's sitting of the third Wellington Military Service Board produced an interesting discussion as to the position of marine engineers and the efforts, or lack of effort, of the shipping companies to release youn;; men for war service by engaging older shore engineers. ■The questions regarding marine engineers arose through appeals being lodged against about halt a score of followers of that calling. Mr. W. A. Kennedy (Wellington manager of tiio Union Company) and Mr. Wallace (secretary of the Institute of Marine Engineers) were present iu support of the appeals. The military representative (Captain Baldwin) mentioned at the commencement that a good proportion of the members of the. Institute of Marine Engineers were not sea-going men — that they were employed as engineers ashore. Another matter mentioned in a preliminary way was the reluctance of the Union Company to take men over the age of thirty-five years. It was asked if iu the special circumstances men who were over that age should not be taken provided that they were fully qualified tor the work. Mr. Maek produced a letter from an engineer of thirty years, who said that he had been turned down by the Union Company. Eeferring to another communication, lie asked Mr. Kennedy if the company would be prepared to take on two men of about forty-six, who had first-olass certificates; one of thirty with a second-class certificate; and one of tbirty-five with a third-class certificate.

». Mr. Kennedy did not give a definite answer.

Suggestion that there is No Shortage. Captain B.uuHin .isKed IT tho "Union Company was g"GTng""to dciiiaTid tll'o samC ago standard ils uefore'tileTvar. TfTr. iieliiiecij' said Tnat tn« TTiTion Company had playOU'tlie game "rroiii""SKu Beginning ol Im>* War, uiicT Cllat too Horernnieut had said so. Up to tno present - nre company liact nw mauc .any arterawon iff trie age standard. 'Captain. .Baldwin: A mere question or air"advance in pay" coma Jicfi, stauu iii tlio way" Mr. Kennedy: 1 can't answer that. Captain -Baldwin: lour company inis •not advertised lor engineers asnore wno are VflHiiiji to go to sear' j>if7 "Kennedy said tnat recently he had wriiiceu to his iieau ouice on mac. euujeoi, but ne coulu not, say wnat uau ueeu done in tne matter. Sfr. "Kennedy said, tnat lie had a leucr troiii an engineer nau &onu to tlio lront, and nad been taken out or tno trciiciies and put auoard a warsnip, lr tnat was going to Happen wnat was tno uso ot over taking uio men on tne vessels?, Mr. Mack: ' 'mat is a reasonable thing to do when tney find there- is a snoruige. Thoy could take them out oi camp nere, and put tneui into your boats. captain Baldwin: Tho suggestion is that there is not a shortage it the men available were used. Mr. u tlio men available are compeCcnt, 1 am quite suro tllut tne company would use tliem. Air. uonsidino mentioned the matter of tne ago iinni. Mr. .Kennedy: If the men were competent, 1 am quite sure tne company would relax that, as they have done in regard to the office start. Mr. Wallace remarked, that it had been relaxed in the case of a man on tlio Kaino.' Union Company and Profits. Mr. Kennedy: Re Captain Baldwin's remarks of yesterday, i tako it that they were levelled directly at the Onion Company. I Captain Baldwin: I made no remarks. 1 merely suggested thatj-these men were being supplied by tho Government in the interests of tho. commercial conconcerns. Mr. Kennedy: I think you mistake my reference. What you said was to the effect that tho Government was supplying the company with men to make enormous profits. Captain Baldwin: I did not say "enormous profits." Mr.- Kennedy: 1 am not speaking literally, but you said "profits."« I may say that 'whatever higher rates there have been, have been practically absorbed in higher wages, etc., to tho men. Since the beginning of the war coastal freights have only increased by 2s. b'd. a ton, and inter-colonial freights by ss. a ton. The whole of these increases have been practically, if not _ wholly, absorbed by the advances in pay made to the various workers. The company's rate of freight today from Newcastle is 13s. 6d., whereas the Government pay at the rate of 30s. in chartered ships. - x Mr. Kennedy said that, speaking again on the subject of profits, lie might mention that there were two of the Union Company services which did not return profit, and were run for the public convenience, so the board would - have to consider the public in ■ any. attitude thoy took up. "Take the caso of Gisborne, and that of Napier. Owing to the waterside trouble, Gisborne was isolated, and was short of flour and sugar, and Napier was Ijare of coal, and had to telegraph for a ship. If that could happen in a few days, what would be the position in the course of weeks or months. Captain Baldwin: You speak about not making profits, but will you tell us what amount of war taxation the Union Company has paid as a result of war profits? Mr. Kennedy: I don't say that we have not made profits. I .'say that there are services that are absolutely unprofitable to us. The policy of the Union Company has been to play tlio game. If it is possible to get men who are competent, and hold the proper certificates, I am sure from what I know of the directors that they will be I willing to release men for service.

No Future Exemations Unless Mr. Mack: You have not shown us that the company has made any legitimate effort to get these shore man. The company are insisting on their pound of flesh in regard to the ages of the men. They say a man must be thirty-five or under; that if lie is thirty-six he is too old. _ Mr. Kennedy said that it was essential that tlio hoard should consider the public interest.. IF the men they were talking about were not competent, it would be merely accentuating trouble to take them. Mr. Considine: And there is the safety of the public to consider. Mr. Kennedy: Yes. The chairman: You have a memorandum coming down from the Government, I understand. Mr. Kennedy: Yes. Mr. Kennedy: If we get these shore men, are we to take them if they wish to pick their jobs ? Mr. Mack: No. \'o man should he allowed to nick his job. The hoard took time to consider the questions involved, and announced its decision in the afternoon. The appeals in tho following cases were adjourned for two months:—John

Jcromson, seventh engineer s.s. Moana; Charles M. Smith, Port Chalmers; William James Williamson; Malcolm MacLeod, Wellington; George Flucker, Dunedin; Arthur Selwyn Crosbie, Dunedin. One month's adjournment was granted in the cases of Gordon Maxton Rennio, Dunedin, ami John Ellis Dugdale, s.s. Kokiri. The chairman said that in view of the fact that the Union Steam Ship Co., Ltd., are insisting on men applying for the position of engineers complying with their previous regulations with regard to age, suitability, etc., and also that they have taken no steps by advertisement to secure eligible men who are now ashore, the board desired it to be distinctly understood that, in future, men eligible for military servico will not be exempted unless it is shown conclusively that all available resources have been exhausted. In the case of Frederick A. Cannon, a marine engineer employed at the Patent Slip, Wellington, an adjournment for a month was granted.