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Grey River Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 5302, 24 September 1885, Page 2

Commander Edwin wired urgent at 1 p.m, yesterday that bad weather jnay be expected after six hours from now between north-east to north and west with rain. Considerable and increasing sea. Glasß to fall with wind backing within ten hours. ; The Wallabi arrived yesterday morning from Wanganui with a cargo of bullocks' from that incomparable grazing ground, the west coast of the North Island. The Wallabi has been a stranger to the port lately, but during her absence she has received a thorough overhaul, in hull and machinery alike, so that she may be looked on now practically as a new boat. - The exact nature of the alterations made in her we published a few days ago. It is to be hoped that the old boat may keep afl >at as long and successfully as she has done hitherto, and there are few boats in the colony, if any, that has been such a constant source of profit to her owners as the Wallabi. ■ The s.s. Waipara arrived yesterday from Hokitika. The work of unload:ng the St. Kilda was go<ng on all yesteday, and befcre it wasconple'ed coke was being put intothn empty c>mpartim-»1s. Her cargo was beimr discharged until ahnut 12 1-st night. The St.. Kilda will probably not be quite ready for sea until to-night. The s s. Maori arrived at Wellington early yesterday morning. The s.s St. Kilda sailed yesterday for Greymouth with the San Francisco mail for the West The s.s. Wallace arrived at Westport yesterdey. It is stated that the New Zealand Shipping Company, unless the Lumpers' Union agree to their terms, will cable to London for fifty dock hands to come out by th.B steamer leaving London next Saturday, to work cargo in their vessels in the colony. The men would receive permanent employment in the company's service. The Wharapoa was discharged by her crew, and at other vessels non-Union men were wonting. The Tongariro took with her about thirty men, who will be employed in loading and discharging at Wellington and Lyttelton. From Adelaide we learn that the federal conference of the Australasian Institution of Marine Engineers was for two days engaged in formulating a " scale of wages " applicable to all classes of steamers — foreign, intercolonial, and coasting. This scale is based upon the assumption that nominal horse-power is the fairest and most equitable method —other matters, such as climate, &c, being equal —of adjusting the pay of sea-going engineers. The conference has endeavoured to meet the views of shipowners, and at the same time consistently carry out the principle of pay being proportionate to the responsibility involved. Whilst the adoption of this system will entail an increase of pay in some vessels, it will necessarily require a decrease in others of a smaller class. By this means greater encouragement will be afforded to younger members of the calling (who usually obtain their first position in long-powered vessels) to advance in professional knowledge, and with good conduct combined, merit promotion to a larger one. The question of better accommodation on board ship has occupied considerable attention, and a letter is to be forwarded to the steamship owners requesting an improvement. It not unfrequently happens that steamers plying on the coast here, in a semi-tropical climate, have been designed or built for service in colder latitudes, or by British buiders whose prejudices lead them to ignore the comfort of engineers' quarters would be admirably adapted for the Atlantic trade in winter, but are illsuited for the sultriness of an Australasian summer. The conferenoe have also under discussion a scheme for supplying their various districts with books and papers of a technical character, it being found that nearly all libraries and reading-rooms are sadly defioient in literature apertaining to their requirements.