MINE SWEEPING ABANDONED

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 123, 18 February 1919, Page 4

MINE SWEEPING ABANDONED

OWING TO SEAN DEMANDS MINISTER'S STORY OP OBSTRUCTION The Acting-Prime. Minister (Sir James fe Allen) announced Tast evening that t*3 Government had been compelled by the demands of 'the seamen to abandon the proposal to use the Government eteamer Tutanekai for mine-sweeping purposes. . This decision had been reached after prolonged negotiations.

"this is to be regretted, since, the impracticnble demands of the seamen have resulted in measures for the protection of all seamen, in the Dominion and outside of it, having to be abandoned. Originally the Government called for a crew on the basis of the same rates as paid in other Government vessels, plus 10 per cent, bonus. No objection was made to this until the date of signing on, when the crew refused to sign on, and demanded 15s. per day, 2s. 6d. an hour overtime, three mentis' guarantee, and compensation in case of accidents. ' "The proposed master of the vessel met the secretary of the Seamen's Union and the demand for these wages wa9 waived, and the ■ rates. suggested were the war zone rates in the current agreement between the Seamen's Union and the New Zealand shipowners, plus a bonus of 10 per cent, on'such rates. The Government agreed to this demand, and aleo met the seamen's request regarding the minimum time of employment, hours of labour, holidays, overtime, invaliding on shore through illness, and in effect everything' except ipracticable demands, regarding compensation, for instance. Even in this the Government were agreeable to a system of pensions equivalent to. the pensions for eeanien and soldiers on active service.

"This, however, was not accepted by the 6eamen, although the firemen were, it is. understood, quite, ready to accept such' terms. Whenever a settlement appeared to he near, some quibble was raised, prolonging the negotiations, until the Government, having suffered waste of money_ and trouble for a month, have now decided to entirely abandon the project so,far as the Tutanekai in concerned."