THE MERCANTILE MARINE.

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 27, 31 January 1917, Page 7

THE MERCANTILE MARINE.

POSITION OP ENGINEERS

Some interesting statements were made] as to the position regarding marine .en-.; gineers employed on ships in.actual com.* mission. •■■■.. : ■ , .■ . -•-,.• i--... The Wellington manager for the Union!; Steam Ship Company (Mr, W. A. •Ken nedy) appealed on behalf of the following marine engineers:—Percy John, Gib* son Ward, 2nd engineer; Arthur Wil-' kinson Bagley, 2nd engineer; Eric Allen Cole, sth engineer; George Clements Wadsworth (on transport work); and! : Alexander Murray .Wishart,■; 3rd engi-:1 neer. In answer to Captain Baldwin, .'lies, etailed that the boats, as far as engineers -were concerned, were fully; manned now, but there would be con-, siderable difficulty in filling any vacant cies which might occcur. All the jnerr appealed for were either on ships or at* transport work on shore. There. wer* eleven engineers to come and go upon. Captain .Baldwin stated that it was,:, apparently, the only industry which, was fully manned. Was there any provision* '■;' for working short-handed? . Mr. Kennedy: Not without the con', sent of the Minister or the engineers •-' themselves. The quotas were fixed by, an Act. Three men who were anxiotaa to avoid the ballot had recently enlisted voluntarily, and the Minister had assured the company that they would n*: ; . be called up until after 30th June. Thsfc;; was an indication that the shortage waa! realised. ■ ' . The Chairman 1: In the case of a fifth.'; engineer, could the company see its way;, to withdraw the appeal and let thatf* man go? . _ .■; Mr. Kennedy : Would the board heart', Mr. Wallace, secretary of the Institute*! of Marine Engineers, as to the effecti' that it would have on the management?'of the engine-room ? ■ ' : The Chairman-: Certainly. . . Mr. T. B. Wallace, who was present,]'/ came.forward.and said-he had ;two^menfL< on-the books open for employment..'*"' Captain Baldwin : What effect would";;: it have if we took a fifth engineer?—<■ Well, I would like to say that the .ship-. • owners do not carry men for fun. A fifth; engineer would not be employed unless. ■ he waa necessary for tiie efficient and, perhaps, safe working of the ship.. Thera " is a, minimum fixed by the Act, but moral engineers are often required. Mr. Wallace stated that many oi thoyoung fellows were anxious to go to ±he>- ■, front, but had stayed behind thinking- ■' they would be "of more usa at sea. Six>>> men from' the Wellington.-.district jivKq^left witb reinforcement drafts had>since been recalled from the trenches, and werafiv now sailing under Admiralty orders. Captain Baldwin said the whole point at issue was this . The Union Company] desired to work fnl) staffs and' with aj- - margin to spare. They all appreciated! that. '■' \ "■''.■ The Chairman asked Mr. Wallace if he knew what became of the engineers'.-" from torpedoed ships, and Mr. Wallacef. said they were probably absorbed' mv*" mediately. • ,- ■■ "•■ The boarc: adjourned further considera-;., tion of the appeals. .'..-., -» :, V'",' I.' AN ENGINEER ON SHORE. The case of Archibald Walker,' jiih./-' marine engineer, adjourned from last; week, was then re-opened. Appellants father, Archibald Walker, Lloyd's surveyor at Weiliugtou, said his son's case-: would. haVe been, exactly the eanie as:' 4'bat of the Union- Company's men. had;

important shore ■work. He asked for a further adjournment in'order-to employ counsel. ' '""'■" " " ' The Chairman said that there had already been an adjournment. He wanted to give every man a fair chance. He did not want to send any man who should not go, and he did not wa.nt to keep a man ba-ck who should bo there. Mr. Walker, stated that his son. was not a shirker in any sense of the word, | and had only remained in the Wellington office while he.(the father), was engaged almost day and night on Transport Board work. ' • _■• _ • ' * . An adjournment until Friday morning jvas granted. . { SEAMEN AND FIREMEN. The following seamen and firemen were appealed for by Mr. W. T. Young, secretary oE the Seamen's Federation, on the ground of public interest:—Percy Titshall, fireman; Richard M'Neilly, able seaman; Wm. Valentino Owen, able seaman, who said he had two brothers at thefront; Percy M'Leod, ordinary seaman ; John M'Donald, able seaman ; John Davies, able seaman (whom Mr. Young ■was unable to trace); Harry Palmer, fireman; John Alexander, fireman; Thomas Robertson, able seaman; John Coutts, able seaman. The appeal for Davies was withdrawn.- ■ .

Mr. Young stated that all the appeals Vere on the ground of public interest. There still continued to be a very great shortage of seamen throughout New Zealand. On 17th January a transport paid, off 25.0r 26 of her stokehold crew, and great difficulty was experienced in filling the gaps. He believed that the vessel "was delayed some time, and that, eventually, several firemen with the New Zealand Forces were engaged at a payment of 2s per day above the usual rates for firemen. Witness had been unable to supply men for several vacancies occurring. About 1800 members of the Seamen's Union in New Zealand, and 2000 members in Australia, had enlisted, and many were still enlisting, Mr. Young, in answer to Captain •Baldwin, stated that probably about 1 20 ■men were unemployed in Wellington. Ho only appealed for the bona fide man. The •membership of the union in New Zealand ■was, roughly, 4000, so it could be said that a fair* proportion of the! members had enlisted. The various cases were then examined individually. Mr. Young satisfying. the .board that the appellants were bona fide eeamen.who had been to sea for some time. . ,' 'The board intimated that it would take time to consider the case 3. With the exception of that of John M'Donald, whose appeal was dismissed, all the cases were adjourned sine die, appellants to report regularly that they .■were remaining in a marine occupation. Appellants 'Were granted exemption from military duty in the meantime. - • ■ ' . . . ■ .

. -A BRASS FINISHER. George Henry Cowan, brass finisher, ,72, Rusgell-terrace, appealed on the ground'of public interest. 'He said he •was single and 3l years of age. He had been in his present employment with (Mr. Dutch*? for-14; years. Eighteen to twenty hands were - employed at the ■wjorks now —fewer than before the war. It-was impossible to secure men. ;Thn employer handed to the, board _a:j confidential statement in reference to his business.' He said he was engaged on troopship work, camp work, and work, lot dairy.'factories. There'were about 20 ■ companies doing similar work in- New. 'Zealand. He employed 12 ha-nds now as tigainst 15 before the war. Cowan was a' brass finisher—a Highly skilled, worker. lit was proved/thai, both '.'appellant and his brother enlisted nearly a year ago, but were ietained by the Minister of Munitions for essential work. ; The appeal was adjourned for two months, the-Chairman intimating thatCdwan's position would be reconsidered at; the expiration of that period. '■ , (Proceeding.) ' I APPEALS; IN ; AUCKLAND. I ' (BI TELEGRAM!.—PBESS ASSOCIATION.) }' r >- AUCKLAND, 30th January. {Before, the Military Service Board today an appeal for exemption by Harold iWrightqn, on' tne ground, that he was a-member of the Society of Friends, was jidjourned until the Government intimjates what kind of alternative service it jwill accept. ' ,

ijohn Hamilton, master mariner, cmkployed. by the Devonport Ferry Co., appealed on the grounds of public infterest and undue hardship. Mr. Alison, manager of the company, in evidence, stated that the appellant "was one of the few men classed in the supe-l-riqr grade and could not be easily reiplaced. His enlistment would mean ■laying: up the ferry boat, causing inconvenience to the public.' The company -could riot get men. ' The case was adtjejurned for six months, the Chairman abinarking that there was a great shortage of seamen, and on such steamers as 'those in the ferry service it was necessary that competent men should bo in 'charge. The board did not feel justified in'taking such'men as the appellant at ■present.. : : , ■ FIRST SITTING IN TARANAKI. j '; ' NEW PLYMOUTH, SOth Jan.' Twenty appeals were heard before the first sitting here of the Military Service {Board to-day. The applicants were 'chiefly farmers, and appealed on the ground of undue hardship. The appeal of ; a conscientious objector was dismissed on the ground that the brethren as a body do riot object. The appeals of others were dismissed with varj'ing i _terms of leave. , Tho vagaries of the ballot were demonstrated in the case of Leonard Frederick Hamblyn, aged twenty, who said he had five brothers at the front, one of whom was missing. The military .representative expressed appreciation, but hardship had not been proved. 'The appeal of William Aish, aged iorty-six, married, with a large family, was allowed on the ground that he was Dot a reservist. ;; A METHODIST DECISION. '■'■ HAWERA, 30th January. •At a meeting of the Tara-naki Methodist Ministers' Council, the Rev. T. G. :Hamriiond, Chairman of the TaranakijWanganui district, stated that/the operation of the ballot had been carefully con.sidered by the leaders of the Church, ilfc-was felt that the present crisis was such that the Church's duty was to make no; appeal for exemption in the case of puch of her ministers as may be called in the ballot, except under extraordinary circumstances, until an irreducible mini,- , jiium is-: reached in the staffing of circuits.