The Dominion THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1925. A CASE FOB EXEMPLARY PENALTIES

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 47, 19 November 1925, Page 8

The Dominion THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1925. A CASE FOB EXEMPLARY PENALTIES

Since Friday last the intercolonial liner Maheno lias been held n't, in Wellington. The hold-np is not on account of any industrial dispute It is obviously in the nature of an .rotation s nke, certain members of her crew playing fast and loose, )oimng and leaving the vessel- at their own sweet will. These men are lightly indu ging their wanton fancy at heavy cost to other people. , . Aoart from the loss suffered by the shipping, company which nn eventually will be passed on to the public, an intolerable wrong and injustice has been inflicted on people who have taken passages by the Maheno. Owing to the delays that have ° ccurted ’ fome of these travellers will fail to catch oversea liners by which they had booked passages from Australia. Others in various ways wffi suffer inconvenience, loss, and hardship.. As a whole, an enormous loss has been occasioned and is still being added to, because some members of the Maheno’s crew have no respect for an honourable and binding contract. , • x i • There should be no difficulty in agreeing that men who in this way violate their working contracts should be called sharply to account. All seamen in accepting employment sign articles under which in return for guaranteed wages and working conditions they agree to give punctual and faithful service. Any.breach of these articles by either party is, of course, an offence punishable at law. In view of the lengths to which the practice of temporary desertion has been carried, it evidently should be the business both of shipping companies and of the public authorities to see that proceedings are taken against all offenders in this category- . The only way to deal with nen of this type is to subject them to such penalties as will make their contract-breaking, unprofitable. If the penalties provided under the existing law are not severe endugh to-act a deterrent, heavier penalties should be provided by legislation. The public certainly is entitled to fully effective protection against the outrageous treatment to which it is at present being subjected by a proportion of the seamen and firemen on interIt is of course, possible that the imposition of exemplaiy penalties on seamen who wantonly break their articles and delay shipping departures may lead in the first instance to still more serious trouble. Although many seamen undoubtedly desire to pursue their calling in peace and in conditions fair to. all concerned, there is fair y plain Evidence that their organised activities, like those of their Australian brethren, are dominated and directed by a minority of extremists. good tQ suggest that incidents of which the Maheno hold-up is an outstanding but more. or less typical example are part of an organised campaign. If this is the position it is so much the more necessary that the law should be enforced and vindicated. The people of New Zealand, we take it, are not m the least inclined to have their facilities for sea travel and' transport dislocated at the bidding of a gang of Communists, and are perfectly well able to face whatever consequences may be involved'in defeating any attempt of this kind. . , The remedy for what is at present, unsatisfactory in the position of shipping industry is to be found in. action by the Government and Parliament' based on a determination to protect the interests of the public. . r x , , c >- At Auckland on Tuesday, in imposing fines on the Seamen s Union and on its principal offices individually for promoting an unlawful strike, Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., observed that it was a most unfortunate thing “that disturbing influences seem more often to affect shipping, upon which the greatness of the British Empire is built, than any other industry.” . , , , . This fairly sums up a state of affairs which clearly is not to be tolerated. The law as it bears on shipping industry must be strictly enforced, and if necessary strengthened. A good beginning may be made by instituting proceedings against all seamen who break their articles by taking unauthorised ledve. Another step should be the cancellation of the right to preference, of employment at present enjoyed by members of the Seamen’s Union.