MARITIME CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20384, 12 October 1929, Page 11

MARITIME CONFERENCE.

SESSION AT GENEVA.

BRITISH SHIPOWNERS ALOOF.

OBJECTION TO DELEGATION.

Australian and N.Z. Press Association,

(Received October 11, 10.8 p.m.)

GENEVA. Oct. 10,

Thirty-one countries are represented by 102 delegates and 152 advisers at a Maritime Conference called by tho League of Nations. It is to consider tho possibility of applying tho Washington Eight Hour Convention to seamen. British shipowners refused to be represented because they are dissatisfied with the British delegation. This they say is not representative. The only claim of Mr. Ben Tillett, M.P., to act as a British delegate, they contend, is that he once was a dock labourer. Other shipowners passed a resolution associating themselves with the British protest. Tho agenda of the conference includes the regulation of hours of work on board ship, the promotion of seamen's welfare in ports, the establishment of tho minimum requirement of professional capacity in case of captain, navigating engineer and officers. Dr. Eduardo Aunos, Spanish Minister of Labour, was elected president of the conference and Mr. Tillett vice-president.