TODAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 49, 26 August 1922, Page 8

TODAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

The,, conditions; in '.the: WellingtonPatea ;irade we're the' chief subject' of .discussioh ■'; ■;■'■-■,'. ,"-'"',:-.i.;':,;;' ;'■ ;i'_-.'..-,.

•William iH.'G: "Bennett, i,managing! director, of Kapiti 'Steamship: Company, and >■ directed of: the -South Taranaki Steamship' Company, was further!1 cross,-? examined by Mr..Young... .i;" '■*. '' V „ ■' '; ■.'. .Mr.. W. IT.'Young I'JYou'have referred;' Mt: :'Bennett,' to; the alleged falling off jin the Wellingtoh-Patea trade ?'~'.',lt is not alleged; it v tactual."/,. :I '- ■ ''Is it'afactithat.ttie'wjprk is now distributed among 'more :'•ships r^''That bringß in ,ihe 'question; of competition.-; iThere is; afi.J nave■ explained, th«ijincreasing quantity of goods brought •by train from New- Plymouth to inland ports, „Th«n ; there is the increasing \size andVthe greater number of vessel*,carry-i ing ■produce^etc.,. from Southern pbrtatb' Wsnganuij formerly much of that trade came,to Wellington, and was 'fcraashipf ■p^. "to Patea;."';:;./;..;'/■ ■'./.'. ■■ -';' "'.■ .;- •'•.' ■"I suppose.such vessels' as the/Kapuni and Haiwera-Patea traders have occasionally taken cargo- frim- Wellirigion ;to Wa'nganui?"—"Only the Kapitil was laid uri for a tmne"."- ;■; -j! „ "What .j is 'th* competition between ships trading from "Wellington to Patea, or anywhere else oh; the' New Zealand coast?""—"lf. there :are three1 ships now; where there were only. two. before, ,'each', .ship ie bound to-cany less cargo." It was, not unfair/competition. It had been; found cheaperto get cargo .to;N^w>iPly- ;i mouth and : send ■it ' some,: \ distance by rail than send it to Wellington,,and:then have to tranship. -The competition; they. had had by the railway was in.the bringr ing of the gobde down, from New Ply-' mouth to the inland: towns.' Then the. reduction in the railway rates had given; New Plymouth: a better ;chance; to send cargo: a longer; distance. ': . ':: :,.■■.■■:• Witness aaid he coiUd not giveiny, figures as'to the qilantity of ( carg6 dis-' charged from overseas ships' at . New Plymouth: and conveyed by railway .to. Patea. Freightji in the Wellington-Pat-ea i trade had been reduced on benzine.-; Al-; • thoueh the company have notbeencarrv-:; ing benzine asicargo. for sometime, ;'it h6ped to do;so in the iutore.... ',". ".-. . "Is .the Kapuni quite ■ safe i0..-^cawy;, benzine ?"—"She was, granted a certiHcate last week to;carry benzine." \ '.-.:.:■;. ';■;.' the wxqm question. ,;•■ >. >. „"Now as'to .wages?"—"lt may eaye time if I cay at once that I am in accord with the employers', proposals'. U' I/. am "quite prepared to support the, whole lot.; In regard to the union's .proposals, I. disagree with them; !and I am prepared to 'oppose them., That is my ' position, Bpeakirig generally.1' ''. „ '"-.' 1 Mr; M. J., EeaTdon": "There :is an,-; other question, Mr. Bennett. How far do the employers' proposals depart from the present agreement, and if :they, depart from the present agreements-why' do they so depart?"-^"I should .have added this to my statement,: Wheh.l said that I opposed the claims of the union, I should • also .have said 'iri-so: 'far.'.as they do not :agree with the.employers' proposals;' ■"_,'..,) " : „;■'.. "Or 'the present :award?"1 —"No; I am not satisfied "wit'l the present award." ■ |-j ..'. :■ ■. •'.' '-:-,■'• I ■'•■;. '.'- His Honour : "It ia always a legiti-: mate ground for, discussion. Wherever a new award is ; sought, and where the* new ..award seeks to depart from/the', .old award, the Court takes the old award as the standard, and it; isn.for each'side, to show why. the claims they put forward should be;, adopted; - We assume that ytho old award is satisfactory, and' it is for each side to r show ,us * what provisions ■ are unsatisfactory. Mr. Bennett:has,defined his position.' . ; ' THECOST'OF GIVING. / :-.'Mi'.',-''Yonng'';-.(tQ",''.'witiieas)I:'.. ,','Ypur wages scale is based on the wages fixed in , l^Tt-!;'—''Yes^C-/ „ . , .', ./ " : . s "And if. you .should be sufficiently fortunate to;induce the Court to reduce the wages v of. ordinary seamen 'by £2. 19s per month\ and all other classes £4* a'„ month, would you, two years hence, then ask .this' Court to adopt the1; wages scale of the 1912 agreement.?"-—"I can hardly, answer •.-'-. siat~. , t .- It, -is too"- far ahead.'''r./.,;; ..';:."'f '".:''..'■'-,.■"".■.■"' ''-V'V ;. ■His--Honour : '"The ■cost of ■■ living and> otiier' conditions": aiay. bo ver|r dif-, ferent then." .'.,.;.; ''■.-.. '•• ]■' ~ '■■ ;.-.-*,'-'.■' Mr; Young (to witness): "There has been a big reduction in the cost of living ?''^--Yes'; the . cosf of living affects ■me as well as.anybody else; I ,am not a millionaire." , ' •::,■■■,■ ' .: "Yoij. hold thtt. there h»» bean » reduction in th» coit of living?"—"Yei,

»the report of the Government! Statistician shows that." » 1 ."Can you tell us what benefit you have derived in that way?"—" Asa shipowner?" ■ 'i'-'. "Yes.?' —"We have not benefited from if very much. ' I am referring to the victualling of the ships.'' His Honour: "And ac to coal?"—"In coaling there has,been practically no reduction ; there has been a fall of 9d." Mr. M. J. Reardon: "There has been a fall in coal during the last six months?" —"We have not benefited so much. I remember when it Svas 18s a ton. I think we.'are. paying £2 6s1 now. With regard to victualling, prior !to the last six months we had a contract." His Honour: "Are" you saving any-■ thing on that?"—"At the present tjme we are doing it under a'different system', and we have made, a slight.saying." ,!'• WHAT IS A FAIR WAGE?/

"What do you.'think-is a fair daily wage for a ( fireman ?"—"I "think the monthly wage is the fairest thing.'' "What I want to know1 ifc: what do' you think a fair,.wage for the work done by a fireman ?"—"I- should »ay. a fair waw for a fireman is £13 a month." , ' 'Tfou have got, no opinion of your, own-Tapart from the employers' proposals? —"I agree with the employers', proposals. , I had a full opportunity, of discussing that matter - when .the employers' proposals were drawn' up." ; -' His Honour: "If there were 'a 'daily wage, how would yon work it ouk-at one-thirtieth, or one thirty-first part of the sum you mentioned?"—"Yes."j .'■'' :,'■ Mr. Young: ' 'Have you, any objection to substituting a daily wage for a monthly wage, providing the daily wage does not' cost yon more than the monthly wage would cost you?-'—"l'"must confess I cannot see any" reason for giving a daily wage. : When ■ you oome to pay a man by the: day, what about '"'■ Sundays?" ■.'■/■';■''"-■.,V..';: '■, '■ ." ■ • -.- Mr. Young' contended1-that according to the contract a ■ man should be paid from the time he signed on till he signed 'Off.' I/." ■' ■ '..•:'''■■■.■■• ; ''. ' ■'/■'■.' •'■■' '■V ■■''■ '• '■' THIRTY-iDAY MONTH SYSTEM. . ' ; His Honour :v"lt is going to be a little tit complicated, I can see, if you are going.to stick,to the monthly contract at a daily rate./ ,fTh«re.will be all- sorts,of■., ■conflicts, for instance, ac to holidays and. .matters of that kind. But Ido not see why; the difficulties;/ could .not be. got over;if we see 'anyTreason.^or' departing from the monthly rate." •'; ......'•:'--y ' ./■Mr.,:. Young: "There are' the broken days in the month; where': a man,, or a crew are; being .discharged." Mr. Young pointed out; that the' .almost/,universal i practice was a !thirty<lay. month, v ! , •After 'some further ' discussion, " his Honour said: it seemed as if both ''■ sides were agreed: to adopt the .-'thirty, •■-. day month .system instead of; the yarying: 31 days? 30 days and 28 days., . ' , ■;'/., Mr.' Young, (to, witness).: ' *|Are the finances of your company all right?." .' ''Our/company is. prepared to rpay any award which- this Qourt n»y decide. '. .I'l^an ordinary seaman 21 yeans of age. is'doingjthe same work; as, an able sea-L----ilian,-is 'it a reasonable thing that he, should be' paid-the same' wage as; ian ' A.Blf'i— "Np:"'Al<- : r;'': t ' .-V;:.: '\--y-;:',^. ■ With regard v/ to overtime, are / you agreeable i that /there should be1 a minimuni *.'rate ,of half an hour?' '—'. ! Yes." • : .'..' "Do you think overtime; should •commence from the time.a man is;called on duty "until he is >.' released 'from atten^-v ahce ?"fi: I "His overtime should, start frbfn ; ' : tTie time be is /ordered to start work." : \' Jri reply to a further question, witness said the business of'his company was such that their ships;'-<|id'!not need to. sail on Sundays. „;;;.' .':'"■-■•-. '.. .:''■■/:'■ The. Gonrt adjqorried. till Monday. . ■:>■■.;:■■;■;■] : "'.":-^l_ ''ii A' ■^■.-■'/"'■"■"r'