A MATTER OF COLOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14347, 18 April 1910, Page 6

A MATTER OF COLOUR.

LASCARS ON P. AND 0. BOATS.

TWO SIDES TO A QUESTION. The protest against the P. and O. Company being allowed to compete, in the intercolonial passenger 'trade eo long as they continue to carry coloured) crews is to be maintained by the Auckland branch of the Seamen's Union. The union has decided to ask the Federated Seamen's Union in Australia and New Zealand to co-operate in urging on Mr. Andrew Fisher, prospective Prime Minister of Australia, Sir Joseph Ward, and the Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for, Marine, the urgent necessity of bringing in special legislation to deal with th© matter. The return of the Labour party to power, as a result of the Federal elections, is regarded by Mr. J. K. Knecn, secretary of the Auckland branch of the union, as certain to revive the whole question .of British steamers trading to Australia being allowed to carry lascars or other Asiatics as members of their crews. . A Labour advocate, when seen by a Hkrald representative, said ho did not agree .with tho attitude of the Seamen's Union, because, he pointed out, that probably if the lascars on the P. and 0. boats had to be replaced by white seamen, the result would be that a low class of Europeans would have to be employed on account of the very great difficulty in procuring white labour to work in the stokeholds and enginerooms of steamers travelling through the tropics. He further remarked that if the choice lay between low caste Europeans, who were rejects from the maritime services of their own nations, and coloured British subjects, who would receive very much higher wages than obtain in their own country, he would be in favour of the coloured man. Another' point mentioned was that the ambition of the Labour party was to encourage white men to secure work on fair and equitable terms, as between employer and employee, in occupations and under conditions where they could raise their status as men, and he considered that the stokehold of : any vessel trading through the tropics was a place more likely to degrade than raise a white man, besides shortening his life by man}' years.