ARBITRATION COURT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11874, 28 January 1902, Page 3

ARBITRATION COURT.

SEAMEN'S DISPUTE. J ' j - : OPENING OF THE UNION CASE. j. The Arbitration Court opened ; the hearing of the: seamen's dispute yesterday. -Mr. Justioe" Cooper (President); and Messrs. ■ Brown and Slater were on the bench. Mr.. William Belcher (Dunedin), Mr. J. Kneen ; (Auckland), and Mr. W. T. Young (Welling- ' ton) represented the Seamen's Union. The shipowners wore represented as follows: — ' .'Messrs. W. E. Kennedy, Wellington man- | ager for the Union Steamship Company ; J. F. Kirby, labour director for the Union i Steamship Company : Charles. R-anson and G. Gow, Northern Steamship Company; Jas. Dunning, . Coastal . Steamship Company, ; Limited; Malcolm McGregor, McGregor Steamship Company, Limited ; W. J. Parker, 1 , s.s. Akaroa; James Stewart, Northern Union Steamboat Company and W. B. Leyland, . B.s. Stella. . Mr. Belcher, in opening the case for the union, said: With the approval of the Court, it is my intention to open this case in: a general way, referring as little as possible to tho Union Steamship Company, and entering as much as possible into local matters. ' . The President of the Court: Of course, wo are simply taking evidence in the meantime ; wo intend hearing othei branches of the dispute in other parts of the colony before we make an award. Mr. Belcher: I intend referring to the ' Union Company's affairs as little as possible foi that reason, because the evidence in con- '• nection with their affairs will be taken else--1 where. The dispute is one of some importance, involving, as it does, the interests of 1200 or 1300 men employed by shipping companies in New Zealand, who are engaged on dock and in tho stokehold departments of the various vessels. The union, as it is composed at present, consists of three sectionsDunedin, Wellington, and Auckland and in October last the union was formed into an ; industrial. association, with tho object, if possible, of bringing our troubles before this Court, and getting them settled in a • comprehensive manner; also, of getting, as far as- circumstances will permit, a uniform, award throughout New Zealand. Up to the- ' present that uniform, award does not obtain, the conditions of the southern parts of v the ' colony being altogether, different and much " superior to those obtained at this end of the island. The branches at Dunedin and Wellington were working, and are still working, under an award that .made in 1899) and ' which expired on July 31 last. It is since ■• that time that we have come to the con- '. elusion to form, ourselves into an industrial association, and the Court is aware wo had a serious trouble with- tho renegade branch in Wellington, and wo had to bring a law- • suit to test the validity of our position in ' Wellington. That accounts to some extent for the delay that has occurred in bringing these proceedings before the Court. The ' Auckland branch is in a- totally different po- ■ sition to what they are down South, for the ; reason that they have been working under '■ the awnrd made in 1898, the- conditions' of • which were much inferior to those obtaining * down South. The improvements that we ask for at tho present time are increase of wages, increase of overtime, and also improvements in the conditions applying to the payment of and the observance of Sundays l and holidays. It is also with a. view of puti ting the seamen in New Zealand on the same . level as our fellow-seamen in, Australia. Be--5 fore going into that matter I would like to v bring under the attention of the Court the various ■■ conditions 'taht have obtained . in New Zealand during the past eight or [ nine years, and I do this with a ■ view of . showing how the wages; and conditions of sea- - men have been decreased, and how they have L been increased, and also to show the. position . we occupy 'at the present time. Prior to 1893 i the wages ..paid right through Aus- [ tvalasia to seamen and firemen were £7 and £9 [ _ per : month respeo- [ tively. In 1893 a reduction of wages and [ overtime took place in New Zealand, the | wages being reduced by £1 per month, and . the overtime by 6d per hour, which reduced | overtime to Is per hour. At the same time } that the reduction Of £1 per month was i made in New Zealand the Australian shipi owners reduced their men's wages by £2 i per month, at the same time making tho . same reduction in the overtime rate. In 5 1897 we went before the Conciliation Board in Dunedin, and the New Zealand wages were then increased by 10s per month, the , rate that has obtained up to the present . time; the wages of the Australian seamen ) were increased by £1 per month, the exact ? date of which. I do not know, and later.oh . fcheijc ~; w ages ore. increased a further .10s : per month, bringing'them up to the New Zealand standard; and about seven months . ago the Wages in Australia, were increased for a further 10s per month, practically bringing them back.to the same standard that obtained v before 1893— is to. say, that they are now r receiving in Australia £7 and £9 per month r respectively. This is a matter of some importance, and we' wish to bring under .the ; notice of the Court the different circumstances that surround the Australian shipping i trade to that of New Zealand. In tho first . place, tho increase in wages that has been . achieved in Australia has been without the t intervention of any Board or Court, or any- . thing of that sort. It has been arranged amicably between representatives of the union 3 and representatives of the shipowners. There is also this to be considered—that the circumstances of the Australian coast are altogether different to what they are in New . Zealand; the competition that exists in Aus--3 fcralia is very keen. Indeed, both so far as coastal trade is concerned, and also with : respect to the large-, lines of steamers that run to the various ports in Australia, such as t the P. and O. Company, the Norddeutscher- . Lloyd Company, the Messageries Maritim;'s Company, and one or two other large companies, some of those are subsidised by their various Governments, and have been cutting very excessively into the coastal trade of Australia; yet, notwithstanding all of these disadvantages, which do not obtain in New Zealand, a fact remains that by an amicable f arrangement the Australian shipowners . could see their way clear to increase the ' wages of their seamen and firemen to what we, as a union, look upon as our standard - rate of wages. , Wo call it the standard rate - of wages for this reasonthat wo enjoyed - these wages from 1884 rip to 1893, and,, if I understand the wants and the aspirations of i seamen and firemen of New' Zealand aright, i. every effort will be made, and repeated r applications made to'this Court to increase ,1 cur wages to that standard again. We look s upon that, so far as wages are- concerned, as x finality, and I do not suppose there will be a any attempt made hereafter to increase, the :l wages beyond that late. There is not. the - slightest doubt about it that the competition - is keen, for wo have documents here showing e most conclusively that the newspapers in 0 Australia have taken this matter up, and the ■. comments of the Melbourne Age have been - embodied in pamphlet form, showing con--3 clusively and accurately the extent to which - this competition has affected the coastal lc trade. I say again ..that in the face of this : opposition and keen competition the Aus- , traiian owners could see their way clear to - increase the wages. Outside of the compe- ; tition, there is also this iact to bo con--1 sidered, that the rates of freight and pases sages in Australia arc very much lower per , mile than on the New Zealand coajat. I a -'think about the most exaggerated instance - that could be brought forward is with 3 regard to the run between New Plymouth and Onelumga: that, I think, is about the most (ixpensivo • piece 'of travelling there is on ! the New Zealand coast.' 'The distance is; about 130 miles, and the fare charged saloon 1 return is 475. That, may point' out, is 12s in excess of what is charged between Lyti. telton and Wellington,-' a longer distance by about 45 miles; and this fact is also to be taken into consideration, that there are two companies, as a mattei of fact, sharing the s trade between Onchunga and New Plymouth,. i and we have always been led to believe that , where .competition exists there the price of our commodities and our travelling is vary much loss; but in this particular instance we 4 find : .t works out in a totally different direc--5 lion. At any rate, there is not the slightest doubt that tho rates and freights charged in 3 New Zealand are very much higher than they ? are in Australia, and we believe that skip- , owners at the present, time are in a position to concede the- concessions we now ask for. P We have endeavoured, through the medium of the Conciliation Boards at Dunedin and > Wellington, to effect an amicable arrange- » incut, but unfortunately thai has not ocf. curred. So far as competition is concerned i on the New Zealand coast, I think there is * absolutely none. It is perfectly true that J there is what might be termed a foreign com--1 pauy running iu conjunction with the interI colonial trade. They at one time were in 3 competition—and in very keen competition— ■ with the Union Company, and there is not " the slightest doubt that both lost considerable ; > sum.? of money in trying to assume supremacy s of th; trade. However, the companies real- • ised that it was detrimental to their v interests to continue cut-throat competition, t and they coalesced with one another, an'! i fixed up an arrangement satisfactory to both. They now run in conjunction; they charge s practically the same fares and rates, and j their passenge. tickets are interchangeable. 3 So far as they are concerned,''therefore, I . do not think there is any competition in 3 existence at all. With regard to the .: norths crn trade here, there is absolutely no com--3 petition. There may bo a little with" regard , to one or two ot the plaees located >vithin limits, but it is of such an 'infinitesimal nature that it is hardly worth alluding'to:* We have

been told down South jthat the increase and i improvements: we ask for in bin- conditions " are too -large and comprehensive, and we < have been accused of asking for a great deal, / A with, the expectation that we will get a little. i Now, "with, regard to that aspect of .the ques r i tion, I wish to say that, so far as the Seamen's -s Union . is, concerned,: they have no such ;■ in- '< tent ion "', whatever." Everything that; is asked l for in the reference before the Court we be- "< lieve to be "fair, just, and equitable, and I -" believe that we can advance very good rea- i sons, and afeo adduce evidence, to show that -i what wo have asked for is; nothing more than ' is fair and right. As a matter of fact, when 1 the reference comes to be examined very i closely.it will be found that, with the excep- I tion of one or two small items, we are simply i asking for the reinstatement of "the con- ' ditions that prevailed from ISB4 up till 1893. < Comparisons were made when we were before ' the Conciliation \ Board ' between the wages ! and conditions that are paid for unskilled : labour, on shore. . Now, : we do not think there - is any analogy whatever between the ; conditions obtaining on shore and those on board ship. In the first place, the working on board a vessel is skilled work, and I need not go further than to staio that it is laid down by law that there are certain quali- . fications required of men to go on board a ! vessel. '.; The seaman, far instance, who is : working on the deck, ?*nd is an able seaman ' on board a steamer, has to have two years' service before he is admitted to that position. To go as an able seaman on a sailing vessel ho is to show a four years' qualification for the post, and for a man to go in the capacity : as fireman is to s~>rve three months as a : trimmer before .he .is allowed to go on fires. That, in our opinifei, shows most conclusively that the labour v.i board ship is skilled, and : that no analogy can bo drawn as between a farm labourer, or instance, and a seaman, nor any other "; unskilled labour, on shorn. Over and above/ the skill on board the ship there are many other serious disadvantages that a seafaring man ; has got to put up with which a shore man had no conception of. In the first place, what is their position '! The moment the man signs articles on board .a ship he is utterly "and absolutely at tho disposal of his employer until his name. is taken off the articles. Ho signs, it is true, for so much per month, and nominally for so many hours per day, and while he is working in port his hours are supposed to be eight, but the fact is : this, that instead of his working hours being eight they invariably run into anything between 12 and 20; that is, so far as seamen : are concerned; and it is only on those occasions when his vessel is lying in port and where there is no work to bo done after five "o'clock that he enjoys what is termed the eight-hour day. Those instances are very rare indeed, the vessels are continually on the move, and it is obvious that it requires someone to take them from placo to place. It therefore resolves itself into this, that so far as work is concerned on board ship it is night and day, and often when the seaman has completed his day's work in port— often hard and laborious work —the vessel leaves port. Whichever watch he happens to be in he has to take it. In some instances they keep- an eight-hours watch at sea; that is to say, that a man is on' deck at eight o'clock, he goes below from twelve to four, he is on deck at four in the morning, and works till eight: There is an instance where a man has-been working 16 out of the 24 hours, and the geographical position of New Zealand is of such a nature that ports are located at distances apart, which leaves it open for a vessel to leave one place at, five o'clock at night and arrive at the next port in time to start- another day's work in the morning. This thing goes on month, in and month out, and wo can prove most conclusively that instead of a man working eight hours per day he does anything from 12 to 20. There is, of course, some • portion of that time that is paid for at the overtime rates, but as I have already stated, it is possible for a man to work 16 hours without the possibility of earning a sixpence of overtime at all, and when that" fact is taken into consideration it must be obvious to the Court that when a man is earning a large amount of overtime his time , for rest and recreation is almost nil. Men who follow that occupation are exposed to the elements at all times. .;':■ -There is no comfort, practically speaking/ on board a vessel., : They get .wqt and have; to retire to their quarters, which, in many instances, and I say < it: advisedly, are not fit to house; a. dog. To compare the condition of men on shore to the con-, dition of men on board ship is making a; very invidious comparison so far as the seamen are concerned. At any rate I am satisfied, from my own experience, that the man on shore has all the- best of it. Then .take - the ..position of firemen. They are nominally supposed to work eight hours" per day, hut seine of "'put in as much as 10 and 12, and in rare instances they have been known, to do 14 hours per day, and this work is not confined to tho ordinary working day that the shore artisan puts in, but it includes Sundays, holidays, and every other day when work has to be done. It is, of course, necessary in the seafaring business that men should work on Sundays; as a matter of fact, it is understood that they have to work seven days a weeks, if required. That, again, is a disadvantage as compared with the shore man. As to the position and advantages of the artisan on shore, very few of them work the full 48 hours per week; in most instances their hours are reduced to 44£ or 45 ; they have all tho holidays, all their Sundays, and are paid, as a rule, anything from £2 5s to £3 per week, and 48 hours per week, for those wages is a totally different thing to working anything between 80 and TOO hours per week, for a very much less wage. Another thing that has to be taken into consideration in regard to seamen is that even supposing a man on shore does work extra hours up to 12 or- 14 per-day, he has the remainder of tho 24 hours to himself," which is an advantage seamen do not enjoy at all. A seaman's time is broken into small sections, necessary to keep his watches, and it very often happens that while he may be getting six or seven hours off deck, that six or seven hours is split up into three or four different sections,, which he gets at different times, altogether obviating the possibility of getting any rest at all. . There is not the slightest doubt that so far as coastal vessels are concerned, running from port to port day after day, the great complaint among the men is that they cannot get enough sleep. That is a. well known fact. I have been on board a vessel where the. men were so physically exhausted through the work they have done, that it was utterly impossible for anyone to kepp their eyes' open, and I have seen a vessel going on the coast of New Zealand with the man at the wheel asleep, the .officer on the* watch asleep, and the man on the lookouts asleep, all physically exhausted, and could not keep their eyes open. Then the men are absolutely at the disposal of the master of the ship. If a man is called upon to work overtime during Sundays, or holidays, or at night, the agreement he signs binds him to do so, and he dare not refuse unless he is prepared to run the risk of the penalities of the law. , That is one of the things we desire to see altered,' because wo know the evils that attend it, and we know that a very, largo number of men would rather do without overtime; would like the opportunity to get some restrecreation, so far as they are concerned, is almost out, of the question altogether. As soon as their work is finished they want to throw themselves down somewhere, and go to sleep, to wake up and go through the same process over and over 'again. Those are a few of the disabilities that seamen work under, and wo are of opinion that shipowners are in a position to grant the concessions we ask for, and I will advance a few reasons why I think so. With regard to the Union Steamship .Company it is on record in the newspapers that that.cdtnpany paid an 8 per cent, dividend last year. I That we think Is a very fair return' on" the capital invested, and over and above the dividend" of 8 per cent. fro .find that, they havc\ increased the value of their assets very, considerably by the addition of -a largo number, of new J vessels to their .fleet. : Since the last award,was made the Union Company have acquired the following vessels: —Warrrmoo, Kini, - Waikare, Koonya, Kittawa, Koti»ku, Kia Ora, and it is also reported through the press, and I believe it is correct, that they have a vessel laid down in Scotland to cost £125,000. In addition to that the Union Company have extended their operations very considerably in many directions. They have acquired tho whole of tho Tasmanian fleet, and lately negotiations have been entered into whereby they have acquired half the Vancouver service, which is to be run from Queensland. Now, we contend that a company which is in a position to extend its operations as this company has done, and still pay an 8 per cent, dividend, is in a position to grant the small concessions being asked by their employees, who are the means of carrying their vessels about, and who are practically the people who earn the money for them. They have opened up an immense trade in Tasmania, and they have lately acquired trades between Sydney and Tasmania and between Melbourne and Tasmania. Then their operations in the Island trade have been extended very considerably, and theyfind they have to put much larger boats on that trade to carry the produce from the islands. . Wo will be able to prove by statistics that the trade, more especially for tho islands, • has increased nearly 100 per cent. Then, with regard to the Northern Company, so far: as we oan gather from the Northern Company's balance-sheets, which is the only indication wo have ot what their business transactions arc, we arc under the impression that they are also in a position to grant the concession asked. I have perused that company's balance-sheets: from .1897. I find that in 1897 their net profits were £3606 and

IM»MM»MMM»«»»»IIMmMIM»tBM»»nJMMB»»«a»» that they paid a 7 per cent, dividend. Ever since that time they haver : paid a 7 per cent, dividend, their . net profit^ increasing; all ! the ! : time,.until wo come down to 1901, and we find ' their net profits fori that : 'year.' were £5633,; close on £2000 more than in 1897. ; That shows a very marked improvement in - the operations Of. the Northern Steamship Company, and it altogether puts \ on one side the: very strong argument \ used in this ■ Court • in ■ 1893, when '-; the Northern ;. Company's representatives stated distinctly that if the increase we were then asking for was granted it would utterly ruin the Northern Company. ; It lias been shown most conclusively that they have increased their. profits very considerably, and paid a 7 per cent, dividend right through 1 the piece. .Over and above that, their balancesheet also shows that in 1901 they had to the credit of insurance fund £32,554. i I do not know what' way the Northern Company do their business, but I apprehend that that insurance fund is a reserve fund, from which they make their payments for new vessels and other properties. Then they have , to the credit of a boilers and repairs ; account £6646. All that shows most ' conclusively | the Northern Company is in what might be termed a very flourishing condition, and, in addition, to that, we 'have this fact—that since 1897, the year from, which they g'ere to date their downfall, owing to the excessive demands of the Seamen's Union, we find they have also added a considerable number of vessels to their fleet—the Waimana, Terranora, Taniwha, and the Ngapuhi, the latter a very modern and very expensive vessel; and they also contemplate building another steamer for tho Whangarei trade. > Over and above this, they have expended a great- deal of money in the erection of a new set of offices, which I notice , is valued in their balance-sheets at £5353, and am also given to understand that several properties have been acquired at different places in the shape of wharves, buildings, etc., etc., which, we presume, has all been done out of profits. So it will be seen that if the whole profits— or even allowing a certain amount : for depreciation— been put flu one side the Northern Steamship Company would have been able to pay a very much larger dividend than they have done during the years under review. Then, so far as other people connected with the shipping business in the North are concerned, we find that they, too, are apparently enjoying prosperity at the present time. Coming to the financial position of tho Leyland-O'Brien' Company, I have a newspaper of November 15, which reports "that the net profits, added to previous balances, amounted to £9016 for ; 1901," and the dividend paid was 10 per cent. The chairman of the company is also reported to have said: ''Their progress had been unchecked—in fact, almost phenomenal— the future prospects of the business were certain and assured." With regard to the McGregor Steamship Company, we ■ have been unahloto ascertain definitely how they stand, but it is also newspaper report that this company contemplate building a new vessel, which, we presume, would not bo done unless they were doing business of a sufficient nature to warrant them in making the payments for it. We have also the balance-sheet of the Coastal Steamship Company, Limited. How they stand I don't exactly know, but the chairman of the company, who attests the report attached to the balance-sheet, says: Few companies are'relatively in as sound a position as we are to-day. Our indebtedness, after deducting what is owing to us, means only a few hundreds of pounds, whilst our paid-up capital amounts to £7241 Is lid. In faeo of these figures it would be impossible for any honest man, whether a supporter of the company or . otherwise, not to join in the feeling of congratulation which must be felt by the members and friends of the company all 'round at the successful rdministration of its affairs." That, I presume, is an indication from the chairman that everything is also going all right with the Coastal Steamship" Company. Then, turn to She shipping returns of the Port of Auckland. There is "a table compiled: by. the. collector of Customs, which shows that the inward coastwise shipping increased by 40,210 tons, and the outward increased by 42,615 tons, in 1900, as compared with 1899. It is obvious that the shipowners about Auckland must have _ participated to a very large extent in j the increase of carrying, which* must have meant an increase of profits to them. I wish to say a word or two about the peculiarities attaching to the local trade as compared with i the conditions that obtain elsewhere in New | Zealand, and I may say at the outset that j the Northern Steamship Company are paying I considerably, less to their men than what ?s being paid elsewhere. Before entering into that aspect of the question I would like to briefly explain the nature of the ■ watch is kept on board vessels,- so-that I will bo able to show as conclusively as possible ; the manner in which the Northern Steamship Company are paying less rates than are being pa? elsewhere. So far as the deck department is concerned, the watches are'four hours, which run consecutively four hours on- and four hours off. -With regard to the stokehole, there are two or three different systems < i watches. The general custom throughout the world is what is known as four, hours' -watches, i.e., the men work' four hours and get off eight hours, which, of course,- necessitates the keeping of three watches. 'Thai custom', which is world-wide and universal,: is deviated from to some extent on the New Zealand coast, and there is a system of keeping in the engine-room and stokehole .what is known as six-hour watches, i.e., there nre only two men to do the work, and instead of keeping four-hour watches, which I will show they could do without injury to anyone, they are keeping watch and -watch of six hours each.: That necessarily entails 50 per cent, more work per day than would be done under 1 the four hours' system, and I may also mention that, so far as the shipping from Auckland is concerned, it appears to be the universal custom here to have all their men working on six-hour watches. The wages of men in the stokehole working, four-hour watches are £3 10s per month for firemen and greasers; ', trimmers, who work four-hour watches, get exactly the same wages as men on deck, £6 10s. But in the Southern vessels all men who do six-hour watches are, according to the last award, entitled to £1 per month' more, and that is paid to them. What, however, do we find with regard to the Northern Steamship Company and others about Auckland? All their men arc working on the six hours' watch principle, and they are practically, paid £1 per month less all through than men employed by other companies right throughout New Zealand: indeed, there are small companies about Wellington who are paying six-hour watchmen £10 per month. We say there should bo a levelling-up process, and that the Northern Steamship ;'Company should no more be allowed to run their men on £1 per month less than anyone else in New Zealand, than would be the case with separate companies in Wellington. ' That is one of the peculiarities of the Auckland trade, and it will be one of the matters that the Court will be asked to deal with in making their award, and wo would also like to point out-that as these men do identically the same work as men on Southern vessels they should be paid identically the same wages, hence tho reason for asking that a uniform watch should ho made throughout New Zealand. Over and above that peculiarity of this place there is this, that there is a certain class of vessels running out of Auckland and trading within, what is known in, the North as river and extended river limits. Men employed in this trade are paid monthly wages, but strange to say— it is altogether unaccountable to us—there is no overtime paid on those vessels that trade within river and extended river - limits. Tho work the men"do in tins', trade is similar to that done elsewhere. - They are very often called upon to work before and after hours; they have to work on Sundays and holidays sometimes, and they get really no consideration at all, so far as overtime is concerned. We have had this matter before the Court on a previous occasion; unfortunately the Court could not see its wayclear to make any award with regard to that matter, but "wo shall continue to press for this, believing that what we are asking for is fair and equitable. There are some very peculiar matters in connection with this inside and outside trade. For instance, there are some vessels that are engaged in the outside running— which go to sea and whose crews are entitled to overtime occasionally have to take a trip in the inside trade, and cases have been brought", to my notice" where a vessel lias come ; into port with what 1 might term an outside crew; she discharges in the night time, for which the men are' paid overtime, and immediately * afterwards on the same evening, they have another cargo to take in for Thames or Pieroa, or somewhere within limits, and strange to say overtime is knocked off for the work on cargo that is to be carried inside. That is a peculiar position ; why it should be .re cannot understand, because if a man. works overtime on' any account it has been laid down by tiio Court in every • trade that he should bo paid the overtime rate,'and we contend that those men do identically the same work as outside men, and are. compelled by the nature of their agreement to work when called upon. It has been alleged by the manager of the Northern Steamship Company on previous occasions that the men in these vessels do not work more than' eight .hours per day. We recognise that there are certain peculiarities attached toy the trade lsere whereby - they have got to run to tide,; and that sort of thing, but if it is correct, as has been stated by I shipowners in Auckland, that the men do 'not work more than eight hours per day. then they should have no reason to complain; • in faot, they a should agreo to the matter contained in .the special clause at the end of the reference. ; In 1«» - Mr. Ranson stated, under examination (page ; 26 of fihe report), that the Northern ;■. Company's men wore not working on the average. more than eight hours per day, and further.

■■■iniiniiiiu !■■ > - r — „,;„/ ■•■ '■ nim ■ on Mr. McGregor (page 30) says, '• There !»',,- not one man who works over eight hour.*' per day." That is the general opinion that was expressed by the shipowners at the time, but, strange: to say, we had evidence here ' i proving that in one instance—l believe it wao in connection with: the little :Botomahsna, which previous to this had been running* three trips per wedfc to tho Thames—that the men" had worked 30 hours per day. Tbe mastc* of;the Wak&teresaid in evidonce: before the. ■ : - Court that a nun, would not work more than* - eight hours on en - average.*-' Now, so far as wo know, none of them work less than eight hours per day aft, any:.* time', they invariably work more, and how shipowners can wort the average down tip eight hours is altogether -'■■■< beyond my comprehension. 1 - At anyrate we are under the impression that we* will be able to prove most conclusively by evidence that tho men do worfe more than eight hour* P e i' day—a very considerable amount more. -Mr. Belcher then proceeded to deal with the clauses of the reference seriatim, giving tile union's reason for asking that each clause be incorporated in the award of the Court. * His speech occupied the\wholc of tho day, from half-past ten till live: o'clock.