COOKS AND STEWARDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16098, 11 December 1915, Page 5

COOKS AND STEWARDS.

SHORTAGE ON STEAMERS. EFFECT OF WAR REGULATION. Tut TELEGRAPH. —owx CORRESPONDENT.] 'Wellington. Friday. Fob some time past there has been difficulty in securing cooks and stewards in sufficient number to complete the complement of coastal, inter-colonial,', and ocean-going steamers. This is -due to the fact that many have enlisted or joined transports. Others are said to have gone to work at camps to fill gaps. Men. new to the work have been engaged, but it appears there is likely to be difficulty in regard to this in future. New men can still be engaged, where available, for the coastal _ services, but it seems doubtful if even this can be done for inter-coloaial and foreign services. Under the Order-in-Council prohibiting the emigration of persons eligible for military service, exception was made in favour of bona-fide members of ships' crews. The regulation further stated : "No person shall do deemed to be a bor.a-fide member of the crew of a ship, within the meaning of the regulation, unless he has been engaged at the full current rate of pay and m the ordinary course of the shipowners' or charterers' business." It is reported that the interpretation being pub upon this clause is that no man who has not previously been a seaman, either as cook, steward, fireman or deck hand, can be shipped as a member of the crew. This prevents people who are unable to leave as passengers going away from the Dominion in the forecastle or galley. It is reported that on one inter-colonial boat leaving Wellington recently one man who signed on as steward was not allowed to leave. These men are signed on for the round voyage but may desert at a midway port, though to do so is punishable.