WAGES OF SEAMEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18175, 22 August 1922, Page 9

WAGES OF SEAMEN.

jjHE SMALLER COMPANIES.

gjjjAVY BURDENS CLAIMED.

NECESSITY FOR REDUCTIONS

r BT MLEGa-U'H.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

"WELLINGTON. Monday.

The hearing of the seamen and fire's dispute was continued before the Arbitration Court to-day. Mr. Kenneth McLeay, general manager 0 f the Richardson Shipping Company, wa s cross-examined at considerable length Mr. W. T. Young, who appeared on behalf'of the unions. .Mr. McLeay sub---jilted that tho wages statement previously submitted to the Court was a true return of the actual payments made by Ihe company. He denied that on many occasions seamen had to go without meals. \[ r . Young said an instance had been quoted of one man earning £416 in one ear. "What was your object," he asked witness, "in presenting theso figures to Witness: To demonstrate that the present wages conditions wc have to contend with are too heavy. They are arguments for a reduction in wages. Mr. Young: And to accomplish that vO U wish to show the Court wh.it you coridder to bo the enormous amounts earned by the men in the course of the

' Witness: The present state of trade will not bear those rates of pay. The'president, Mr. Justice Frazer, said the Court could not place mnch reliance on the return, because the amounts paid out for overtime v;ere not set out separjtely while the excess rates also paid for certain classes of work were included in the total Mr. Young said it was evident from the employers' Saims that they proposed to rednce the men's earnings by £250,000 Mr. Justice Frazer: Witness has said that he regrets his company's fininces make reductions necessary. The Court' adjourned until td-morrow.