REGARDING COLOURED CREWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14473, 13 September 1910, Page 7

REGARDING COLOURED CREWS.

. Sir, Being interested in the above ques t-ion, and seeing a report of the deputation which waited upon tho Prime Minister on Monday last, I would be grateful for a little space, wherein to point out one or two facts, apparently overlooked by this deputation, and, with all due respect. to the parties concerned, I feel it is purely out of ignorance that these people are agitating against what I think I am right in saying is looked upon by the majority of the business community her© as a boon to Auckland in v.ery many ways. First of all, although it may be beside the point, at issue, I question whether any one of the deputation has ever travelled on a. P. and 0. ship, or even perhaps travelled! across the many thousands of miles separating this Dominion from the Mother Country; if they have, it must have been many years ago, before up-to-date travelling came into vogue, for otherwise they would know and appreciate this new departure of the P. and 0. Company. Now, sir, tho Merchant Service Guile? stated that ''they were of an opinion that it would militate against the officers and! engineers serving on the ships belonging to tho local companies." May I ask in what) manner it would affect any one of them? Do they mean to insinuate that, the very fact, of the P. and 0. carrying a black crew can possibly affect any officers, etc., serving on ships of local companies trading from this Dominion? I fail to see it myself. It? does not affect, the officers, etc., serving 0111 any local companies trading from any other" port in the world touched at, by the P. and O. boats. Why, then, should New Zealand! be the first one to be affected in this manner? Apart from this, the deputation haver apparently overlooked a fact I have before .pointed out, and that is that every man, from the skipper to the lowest-rating aboard P. and 0. vessels, is a British subject! and conforms to British rule, and is serving under the conditions required by the London Board of Trade.

Sir Joseph Ward also made a statement to the effect that " the best remedy would! he for ( our own people to travel by our own ships." Now, sir, is it not a fact that NewZealand as a country considers that she is? part and parcel of the Mother Countrv. and) that each individual New Zealander' considers, and is proud of the 'fact, that he is an "Englishman!" This being the case is? not the P. and O. one of our own companies? and does she not form part of " ono great mercantile marine fleet?" Who doe? New Zealand look to in time of trouble, and what ships guard her coasts? Why, England, of course, every time. Now, sir, is New Zealand going to look upon a P. and 0. «'0 as an outsider? Would thev allow the -N.D.L. to call here without a word because she carries a crew whose skin is white, and! turn their backs upon a line that has done more than its share in upholding England'ssupremacy in the mercantile marine for over 70 years? Why, it is ridiculous on the face of it. Believe me, by a voung country like rsew Zealand trying to shut her doors to a. line like the P. and 0.. those responsible for it are doing an irreoarable wrong, not only to the country, but to the business community. On the, other hand, by encouraging it in every possible way, and by offering it every facility, thev are doing a great and lasting thing for New Zealand, and something the country may be proud of. and something that will never be regretted! by the generations to come. At the same time, they will be adding a new link to the chain of friendliness and commerce now existing between this Dominion and the Mother Country, who placed her upon the footing she now has. It is all very well to be independent, or rather to try to" be; bub independence when carried too far is like "a little knowledge, being a dangerous thing." New Zealand wants opening up,, and the only way to do it is to have a, speedy and reliable connection with the greatest commercial capital in the world, namely, Loudon. In the P. and O. you? have this, and more than this, you have a) company with a history. One more point, and that is: Does the Merchant Service Guild know what coloured! crew the Aparima carries ship flying the house flag of one of- our : local companies, and trading between this countrv and Calcutta via the Straits Settlements? I fancy the Merchant Service Guild, or any other guild, will find that in trying to legislate against the P. and O. they are legislating against their own direct interests in this? matter. On the contrary, let them legislate against " real outsiders " beforo it is too late, and encourage " their own ships from their own Mother Country" in every possible way, no matter what colour their crew is, .as long; as 'they are British subjects, under British rule.

R. W. Wise, late P. and O. S. N. Co.