SEAMEN'S DISPUTE

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 51, 29 August 1922, Page 5

SEAMEN'S DISPUTE

CASE BEFORE ARBITRATION

COURT.

POXTON; AND BLENHEIM TRADE.

Several additional witnesses were examined at the sitting of the Arbitration Court yesterday afternoon in reference, to the conditions of work and pay of seamen and firemen engaged on steamers engaged in the coastal trade. Edwin G. F. Zohrab, further crossexamined by Mr. W. T. Young (who appeared for the Seamen's Federation), gave details of the pay and conditions of the crew of the steamer Rama, and described the working of the vessel while engaged in the Wellington: Chatham Islands trade. . i

John Deck, representing the, Patea Farmers' Freezing Company,, which owns two steamers —the Waverley and Waitangi—said that the Waitangi had been laid up since last September. The last year she ran she carried 1347 tons from Wellington to Patea. The Waverley dropped from 2453 tons up to last September to 1900 tons to present date. In addition, the vessels carried (onsiderable quantities of cement from Terakohe to Patea, and whale-oil from Tory Channel to Wellington. Both the latter trades had collapsed—the cement works being shut, and there being no sale for whale-oil. Witness also remarked that trade was being diverted, owing to the fact that freights from New York to New Plymouth ,were precisely the same as those charged from New York yto Wellington—and that notwithstanding the fact of the' extra facilities provided by the Wellington harbour authorities. A striking example of that was the case of the steamer Eastern Sea, which, after discharging in Wellington, waited a day or two, in Wellington for a berth to be available at New Plymouth—there being' only one berth for large overseas steamers there. On arrival at New Plymouth,' there was still no berth available. That meant a delay at New Plymouth of over a week. . ■ '. i

William Edward; Fuller, .shipping manager of Levin and Co.'s coastal trade, said that the steamer Wairau, running 'in the Wellington-Blenheim trade, was laid up' from the 2nd March to'about the middle of May. The steamer1 Opawa, engaged in the same trade, had been laid up, ever since./ The steamer Kennedy "was .engaged in the Wellington-Foxton and the LytteltonFoxton frade. There. had been a considerable falling-off in the WellingtonFoxton ■ trade. There had also been a considerable reduction in the return trade from Foxton to Wellington. Owing to the dullness of the hemp business, the ; mills were closed ■ down for some time,'and that meant that for a time the Kennedy returned with very little, and sometimes practically no cargo. At present the cargoes were small compared with the cargoes in former years. ' The steamer Wakatu was engaged' in the Wellington-Kaikoura-Lyttelton trade, and' there had been a certain amount of falling-off in that business. Wilfred Bold, master of the Komata since February, 1919, until a week ago, said that he had examined the claims relating to the hours of labour at sea. It was necessary, to call the men out prior to arrival at port to rig gear, and for that they had to pay" overtime. If a ship arrived late in the afternoon, there would be sufficient time to complete the eight hours. In a recent instance at Westport they only . worked six hours in a day, and one m those hours; had to be paid' for as; overtime, as it. was after 5 p.m., and they were in port. The general tendency to clip hours was ajfciihst the efficient working of the ship, xhere were occasions when they had to keep,the men,on duty when a ship was at Westport owing to freshes in the river, for which overtime had tb be paid, as it was not considered "necessary for the safety of the ship.'1' Overtime to the nightwatchman was one of the -heaviest items of payment on, the boat! Stop-work meetings caused a great deal of extra overtime. - The Court adjourned until this morning. . ' , ] ■ \ ■ •'