THE OCTOPUS. & O. CO.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 12, Issue 301, 6 December 1922, Page 5

THE OCTOPUS. & O. CO.

Is' "'Patrfetisin ?? ail Profit

The' New Zealand Jnion St-'-'tm SiHp tTo'mjrany- is merged with the P.. and O, Line. Read below .how Hie P: anyv O. treats BRITISH senraen and fleedps' . -.jate; .British people. This article vfsta. 'tj&eiji irom the Austrian- "Seamen"®' Journal." , : " ' •» « W ■& ' ' • Jα . the folio Ating- words; the. S&liei- j j tor-General, S'r v -Leslie Scott (ol 1 tii%at-. B.vltaiii.'), hurls- ait nnanswei- ; able indictment at the -P: & O. SCeara Ship Company, regarding-• the responsibility for the loss of lif* in the wreck of the May 30" last, v/hejt- 100 human beings were sent to viteruityr irar'nly- because thY manage mkit of the P. & O. Line, in its un-_ governable greed for enhanced" pro ]?n : fe, nlteily disregards the ordinary I p-Eeoaut'ibiia for the safely of.' the lives !of those fi-orm whom they accept fares. .;..;> .. "3a the. present case oo one acted. or continued to act as he would- do ~. at a, .Properly conducted boat drill. There was no attempt 1o apply the principles- o-E" boat drill to tlio £xr_,;tuality. There was lade of system, of organisation, a iiu-k of responsibility,- ■ and totally instiflic'erit j trashing." |-AiYd tho worlcfis fold by, f.lxrv shipping I interests thai" ths. seamen rccirjreri no training. ' , Sir Leslie' Scotf.'also saakr during trie j Board of. Trade Inquiry inltr t'n* loss tlia Egypt: {r T. am obliged to submit to tue Court that thero was B'&''e absence I c? discipline and' insteiut- of dis--1 C'plhio, -confusion, and tho ' Cornpatiy, lire marine . superintendent, tho dock superintendent; end I the , officers of the sl\h\ .pavtlcuiarl; 1,, the capl.ain, and the chief, officer,. are in thftlr different ways respon fiibU , for the want ol discipline." :■'"' are a?. ; yet somewhat at ad's[.advantage- .iti dealing, with thi?i- cast*..;. ha we lift. ye." tav rely on? the raeagr? reports; of - the-.intttLirjr jrlren i : iv tlie. I "Brttisfo and . Ame-r'-can. capitalist Press;; doubtless? when the full rt-. 'isort cornea to. Itand , : some startling, iiv : forraatU)"n w' x i be available, tor the ..'ui.eiraHv'u public. jßiijj. irteagre and all as these reports are, they con rain, some very, intere-s-i-. lug. information- as to thi> way 'the^ company iook.s upon Us jfesponsibMity if> the j-nbTic;. THE LASCARS , PAT TJi'-s jrrtvit- shipping, concern.'-* emLascars as seamen, and: pays them f.he-magn?fk:oni wage «•?'-£l-/12/6 per n-torrth for- declihands;: '.tkxfefxLas•■©Tirs are. uji'aequahitetF Ty'itli- th e and all'hsmEfu tire l,et-w .governrng the employment' of seaniew British -ships, provides that each shall, before- lie.J.s.. ail&wed to sign articles, give prerof. that''ire" understands sufficient of the language4ot- enable him to carry cut any .orders g'iren in English, yet the- ship-"■pi-ttg-.interests neent-to-'have- the. pp\yer to.get thf_ law abrogated in ihi-s ros.pecJ.: EnglLsh find: Kuropenn Vsea)nen de-. .•aancV higher wages .and tetter acc;>m-nioclaSi-on tlion Indian seamen; they demaiad entirely different coßdUions as to their working hours; I>nt "proHis' , -Ijfcing the only ediisideration w-Ulir ilia people wiio run the shinpojig. eotniianias, they employ the cheap Indian In preference- to; tho European..-.; Umter the conditions of I;tJ;oar in shins : , where -cheap seaman-.'.ars-" employed r: .tU« ■ "travelling:. piil)J«c talEes iLs life in its own 'lianda" v/h-eiiever booking a passage- in such The awful tragedy of'" tha "Egypt" should be sufficient iJJustraitoij of I his deplorable feet. .- , ' ; a , H-E-ujtiTi«ai s 's-jßit».E?r' *Il fens been repeatedly sad "by;, tn6?e interested in. British shipping; filat- tlio European seamen is 3;ot as :urif:na))le to fliseipline as the Lascar, m"d, ;al5?o, tli.i.c tiie cost of employing-j t LCuropean seamen would be aliogeiher \r> tioo g«eat. ' ~ ~ ■ ■ ■• .- [ Now, with rr&peet to. the flrst o-j.a- S Mention, S'r~*Lesi; e - Scoft 'e.aJH: ,':. '. r [ "The British Mercantile MaWne i: ' had: a great reputation for discip- t linev in the face of d-aaig-er; Its cord in the war wias- superb. The- '■}} conieaaQW: that because of- suddendanger O.i&:c,ip,l"'ii*e could- not be - peoted <lid ill-credit to the reputftr tio nf 6 f the B v itiah Mercantiler Rfair- <* ine -and was a>> e&«tentieat fchsut'couslii , : :never be adiiiHtsd. without itroua. r.esuJts," : md '|ow, as to the <iue3ti'6'n ; Of tn% 2ost of employing European seamfiSfc' : *« et us see how the P. & O, Company 11 stands regarding its dividends during h<3 past few years. •$ -' TIIE PROFITS r L ,Jn 1921 tliia company Dftid a divid-- ," »nd of 12 per cent, to its vsliarehold- T irs. In 1920. ihe shareholders re-

•. |">eived a- "^^o:; tloxitl "^^o;^. • :: ;yius .-j, ijou-.is of o pet c>iit, free of Ividend taxes. ' ' I-In i-Jl9 - tlieir were, handed oat a :'--IMd-ehd of 12 per een-t.,-pins ;a bonfes xo% 6 per cent., all- free of dlvWead i-a-xegif"""'•■■' '<».-■- ■y , "-r-'-:-r ■■:.■>■. > _ ."•■; -,v :^;.v.. ' In'i&iS- the conipany tietlarfid a div- , idend of .IS free of taxes. 'In : jti&l7 a tu-vMci-.d of IS per cent, free of taxes; and in lf/18 a, diyideiid ->f J.B p|r eent.V" ;&}so : "«r&e oiE s £;ll taxes. Tife'eest of cheap seamen for the | 'F. & O;"Comiiany''fs paf'id , ' tor in the i irss >;[' liuraan cma , not eveii j the : terrible -trp-gefly *of the "TE;gypf ; ,- .„ ./ri : ' awiiil- 1 sacrifice cair Ii« "-allow- ,- ---"t-d to : l-JTi: : eFi'ei% with-"the hog-g-i&l'r pro-' of ;tlie pfrb ; fttesrs : . : "'.' : .' '.* Ati^f§~ :; ' ; ."P. - : & : O;' , €onipa/iy London on ''"he lSt]y October; the chairman-, Ix>rd , ncheapev ey-nioa. l \y -taunls- the Brit-[ sh public wii-h' his power t» force nhern: to fejiy further risks- m order to dd greace-r 1 profits t a th"e> Misiness ! -, ,?hich he* contrelsv ..,. GiiiNßiNG si:.A3te:\''s faces ';, H© told' his shareholders that It -ia intention to" force- another're-tiuctio-a in 'the' wages cf Brit'sh seamen;; this: is- hvvr tha- noMe ; pirrasUe i .;is reportetl'- hx the-. Capitalist Press: "There must soon lie- further con- ; : sider-able reclncbrans- in the- sea- :- 'nien'»-wages if the sh'ps ware to be kept; running. ' He w;s.s ; g'iad' tfrat ,■ the-previous reductions lrad been . without loclc-ouls or r siritec*:""' - There Is- nolhiiig iji. the noble lord'vS report t-o- imlicato fha: ■ there-is- any ■ntention to reduce the dividend rate. 3-ranting- tliafc thers hi a shirap in j trade- and- that Hnves are" a bit hard n tils'shippiiTg - industry, why should* he the only ones to suf-j i'er? " -» Vvliy should the miserable standard ■of living of the seamen- be always the pp'nt of attack for the greedy shipping profiteers?' , W.HA.T. 'EliEr -SE..y!i:O- Ikltt- >'0-'E; GET '■■■ Anotiiei , ' sig-nifieanc point matte by \ JciW lordshijr is- tliat the j :;sr.oimous ■ being- pa'fd tiTisi gear are not derived , from the- running of the ■ S'liips- :atr- all; but from investments -o£ ' wlrfch the ' company hold £7,500,000 in Govevmnent eecur-■itic-s aioji-Oi - -' . ' '■ - ■'•'■ I Tiifa* v slit>ws Avltat. a tremendous su?.'> | ;U-I*is the seamen have crentetV for the I company in past Uiubh, and how gr.O" j r fitable slipping is to tliOo.e who' own and contral it. I "What d'-sjiV(3Lliig ineanncsK the j i shareholders .are ca r #aM : s '.Tct' wfteui all this liiorifey tuclce'd'''away: they | indulge themselves'- with every- com-. I fort and. luxury, while the; families" of.:j the men who raady 'it at the risk of.-] their lives'are deprived l even.' of therj .'iVecessit'ies OT' Vfel I lih the event oZ L-f/ffV Tuchcape attempting, to carry ills flireat to further reduce the wages of the seamen of England, into eiiect, it is to be hoped that Ine "Mariners of England" 11 will offer • sucli ,a resistance "will i teach the Capitalists , a lesson ior all ■ . I