AND WELLINGTON SPECTATOR.

New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator, Volume 25, 25 October 1843, Page 2

AND WELLINGTON SPECTATOR.

Wednesday, October 25, 1 843.

The letter on the imposition and extortion practised upon whalers by their masters is deserving of attention, and if the statement of a " Candidate for Justice " is correct, calls loudly for legislative interference to protect this class of persons from their present state of oppression and injustice. We think, however, that our correspondent has looked at the subject too much as a one sided question. He throws all the blame of the present system on the masters ; he deprecates their acts as being unfair and rapacious ; and would lead us to believe that the whalers are kidnapped into an agreement, taken beyond the pale of redress, and owing to their inexperience and singleness of heart, become the victims of their more acute, cunning, and? monied employers.

The rules and regulations under which whaling appears to be carried on at present, is as between the master and man upon ihe diamond cut diamond principle — from ' all we can learn each seems to try which can make the best bargain and gain the great* eat advantage. To this rule we are bound to admit that there are some honorable exceptions, There are both employers in this settlement, against whom the whaler has never had any substantial ground of complaint, and there arewhalers whose conduct has been creditable to" the employer. But these instances are rare; It unfortunately too frequently happen? that a few men get into a whaling party who havfe led a life of crime or are reckless of all the doctrines which moral obligation ought to in*, force, and so sure as men of this class " sign articles," so certain may it be predicted, that the party will not see the season over without some serious misunderstanding. To remedy these evils, all parties must tee that it would be to their individual interests to substitute for the present pernicious and unsatisfactory

- 1 , system some other which might be adopted more beneficial and advantageous . to both v JFJrstthe employer should engage only those whose character and conduct is unsullied ; -and to carry out a principle of this kind, it would be desirable that for a month previously to jhe whaling season, and during the time that the masters are effecting their arrangements, a temporary office should be opened for the registration of those requiring engagements, together with a reference to their last master, the capacity in which they were employed, and the station at which they whaled. Such information would be of the greatest utility to the master. Then for the better protection of the whaler, we should suggest that the articles of agreement should be drawn up more formally and carefully than they have been hitherto done. That the prices of provisions, slops, grog, &c, should be fixed at the time of engagement and scheduled , in the Agreement, so that no mistake or misjrjgpnception could occur afterwards. And lastly, that the balance due to the men should be paid in cash within a month after the termination of the season, under a severe penalty ,on the part of the master. Some such sketch as this carried into detail would suffico until the master and whalers are under legislative* 'protection. It is quite impossible that a magistrate could be placed at each station for settling the daily disputes that would arise if a magistrate were there to whom trifling differences might be referred. It is absurd to believe that we could have itinerant magistrates for the more effectual administration of justice at these places. More might be done by a proper selection of meu in the first instance ; and by a well-drawn, clear, and explicit agreement ; and if we may add another I bonus to the whaler, it would be that the ''agreement between him and the master should contain a mutual covenant during its continu- | ance to refer every matter in dispute or difference between them to arbitration, and that the referee should be named and agreed upon at the time of signing articles. The adoption of such a plan as this would tend to economy, would save their wages from being frittered away in legal expences, and would tend to a more speedy and effectual settlement of their claims and demands.