THE MERCHANT NAVY

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 176, 20 April 1940, Page 10

THE MERCHANT NAVY

Responsibilities Of New Zealanders APPEAL FOR RECOGNITION The view that as a community the people of New Zealand did not recognize their responsibilities to the , erchant Navy as the agent through, which the prosperity and the very existence of the nation were secured, was expressed by the Bishop of Wellington, the Rt. Rev. H. St. Barbe Holland, speaking at the annual meeting of the Missions to Seamen in Wellington. The institute’s treasurer had commented that the country districts took so little interest in the mission’s work. “I cannot understand it,” said Bishop Holland, “because, quite, honestly, we know that New Zealand depends for its very life on the men who are taking our produce from here to the Old World in one of the many directions in which they can go, and, if it was not for their willing labour and brave co-operation, our life would become simply impossible.” He referred to tihe grant the mission received every year from England to help along the work here, and said he looked forward to the day when that would not be necessary. England’s job was at the other end. Why should England have to look after the seamen who came to Wellington? He suggested that New Zealand should be capable of taking her own responsibilities in this connexion, and seeing to it that she did not become the object of charity from the Old Country. Only another £3OO a year was needed. Was it not absurd that some of the big firms felt that a contribution of one guinea was enough? Bishop Holland referred to the importance of the Merchant Navy to the farmers of this country, and also to the importing and exporting firms, and said he was afraid there was a tendency to regard the merchant seamen just as part of the machinery of a ship. That was not the attitude adopted toward other workers; in the >est of our life we recognized the rights of those who served us in any way. His second point, continued Bishop Holland, was that there was now a special responsibility toward the Merchant Navy, because of the war risks it was running. On this point he could speak with authority, because he had been chased by a submarine himself and he did not need to draw on his imagination. To his mind the .men ot the Merchant Service were just as much part of the forces of the,Crown as the men serving in khahi or blue. They were definitely essential to the waging eif the war, and the winning of the war. He referred to the dismal existence of the mon in their quarters under blackout conditions, and appealed to all who had suitable books and magazines to make them available for (lie men.

The third point. stressed by Bishop Holland was the realization there should bo of the importance of the mission Io the men of the Merchant Service from the spiritual point of view. Religious services were eonducted for passengers on board ship, and the officers were able to attend, but the rest of the crew had no chance of taking part in the spiritual ministrations provided for the others on board. That seemed to him to be one of the tragedies of the searfaring life. It was for this reason that the nerve centre of the Missions to Seamen building was the chapel upstairs.