STATEMENT BY THE STEAM SHIP OWNERS.

Evening Post, Volume LXIV, Issue 141, 11 December 1902, Page 5

STATEMENT BY THE STEAM SHIP OWNERS.

SEAMEN'S DELEGATES REFUSE THE PROPOSED REDUCTION. SYDNEY, 10th December. An official statement by the steam ship owners in connection, with the conference was issued late to-night. It shows that Mr. Appleton, President of the Owners' Federation, who presided, pointed out in his opening address that, owing to the reduced volume of traffic and the competition, not only on the part of foreign vesels, but -urough the enormous tonnage 'freed by the termination of the . Boer war, it was necessary to make a reduction in wages. He directed attention to the fact that the owners, • besides having terminated charters of vessels totalling something like 23,000 tons, had already laid up a large number of vessels .with a carrying capacity of 28,000 tons. Mr. R. S. Guthrie, replying on behalf of the seamen, controverted the owners' statements. He urged that the fallingoff in trade was not so great as represented. Mr. Appleton called attention to the June conference, when the seamen agreed to accept a reduction of 10s per month from the end of January, provided there had been no improvement in trade in the' meantime. He then proposed a reduction of a pound a month, to date from the end of January next. The eeamen's delegates emphatically refused to accept the reduction,, or to make any concession, but were willing to renew the present agreement. The conference thereupon terminated, with mutual expressions of regret that it had not resulted in an amicable settlement.