SEAMEN'S WAGES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 93, 17 October 1906, Page 7

SEAMEN'S WAGES.

REQUEST FOR- AN INCREASE. WHAT THE OWNERS SAY. Some two or three weeks ago reference was made in the Post to the rumours of a maritime strike, and an official of the Seamen's Union, in Btatlng that he knew nothing of such a movement, declared that there was general discontent among the men. He added that in Australia, where competition was keener in every way, firemen and seamen had been granted an itneorease- in wages without having reeonrse to the Arbitration Court. That discontent has apparently now been given utterance to by the following resolution which has been unanimously carried by the New Zealand Federal Council of the Australasian Federated ' Seamen's Union, now sitting in Wellington! : "That in view of the Australian steamship owners having increased wages of seamen and firemen by ten shillings per month, which places the Australian rates ten shillings above those ruling in New Zealand, and believing also that the steamship I owners of this colony are in a better position to concede an increase, this council be requested to forward a communication to all steamship owners in New Zealand asking them to volnntarily grant an additional ten shillings per month to the geamen employed in the coastal and intercolonial trade, or as an alternative to meet this council in conference to discuss the subjoct." Mr. W. T. Young, the Wellington delegate to the council, was asked by a ! Post reporter if he had anything to add to the resolution. He had nothing to cay, except that the resolution was passed, by the council in a conciliatory spirit. The Hon. J. M'Leon, chairman of directors of the Union Steamship Company, was also approached. The matter of the wages of seamen and firemen, he paid, has been decided by the Arbitration Court, and it is unlikely, until the term of the award has expired, that the direct, ors would give favourable consideration to a request to give mote than the court, had awaTded, As to the proposed conference, that is a matter for the directors to decide. Mr. C. W. Jones, manager for Messrs. Huddnrt-Patrkerr Company, said the increase given to the Australian seamen did not. begin till the Ist of July, 1907. The New Zealand award gives the men a number of concessions, such as overtime and holidays. This has been represented to the Australian owners very strongly by the members of tho unions there, and this increase of 10s a month, is intended to equalise matters as between New Zealand and Australia. If the matter is worked out in detail, it will probably be found that the extra 10s does about make both, parties equal. In answer to another question, Mr. Jones said the position is interesting because it is putting the Arbitration Act to a pretty severe test. Mr. W. A. Kennedy, local manager of the Union Company, declined to express any oniuion on the subject. It was, ha said, a matter entirely for the directors to deal with. THE UNION AND THE ARBITRA- ! TION COURT. At to-day's sitting of the Seamen's Conference the following resolution was passed : — "That this council place on Tecord its endorsement of the protests made by ths Wellington, Auckland, and Duhedin branches of the Seamen's Union against the scant attention paid to the evidence adduced by the union in its recent dispute with the steamship owners of New Zealand. That the council takes the opportunity afforded by its first meeting since the- delivery of the award of expressing its strong disapproval of the injustice done to members of the union, and its extreme regret thnt a Court of Arbitration in New Zealand could seei it consistent with justice and equity to refuse to New Zealand seamen tho increase of wages and other important concessions which liave been voluntarily conceded by the shipowners of Australia, where the conditions of shippiuß are less favourable to the employers than they nTe in New Zealand. That this council direct public attention to the fact that the Arbitration Court ban ceen fit to place a large body of New Zealand workI era in a. position considerably below that of similar workers in Australia."

There was a Urge attendance a.t_ the Albert Hotel billiard rooms last night, when a match was commenced between T. G. Bracge. the Melbourne professional 1 player, ana M. J. Donnelly, the amateur champion of Wellington. The game was 1500 up, Bragge conceding hia opponent 600. The contest wns watched with the keenest interest throughout, and both players gave an exoellent exposition of the fin? points of the game. Although neither man made what could be called a big break (66 by Bragge was the largest during the evening), the Victorian particularly made a number of useful 30's ajad 40*6 by beautiful all-round play, while every now and then h« would cjv^ an exhibition of nursery cannons which elicited hearty applau&e. It was evident, however, that > neither the Wellington man nor the Victorian was at the top of his form, ond the final of the contest this evening should be well worth (seeing. At the close of play last night the scores were: Donnelly 1027, Bragge L6B9i • . .