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New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11659, 25 October 1923, Page 6

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SEAMEN’S UNION OFFER “LAW MADE TO BE BROKEN,” SAYS MR YOUNG. ‘1920 AGREEMENT—BANKRUPTCY’ After much fencing around the tablo at the, Conciliation Council during the discus-sion of the. Seamen’s Union dispute, Mr IV. T. Young, union secretary, came out into the open yesterday. He offered to accept the 1920 agreement, if nothing better was forthcoming, but the shipowners rejected the proposal without hesitation. The meeting had been discuse-ing general conditions. Mr Young then announced that if they could not get anything better they were prepared to take the 1920 agreement. The agree menfc would cost the shipowners much le-ss than they otherwise would find themselves liable for. Mr W. G. Smith: That’© not an argument, Mr Young. If a union and its members defv the law and break the provisions o? an award Mr Y’oung: Oh, the law was made to be broken! What is the law for? To get fines and provide revenue for the State. Mr \V. H. G. Bennett: I can say this, that if we 'had the 1920 agreement thrust upon us now under the conditions ruling to-day it would mean bankruptcy for the shipowners. Mr Young: Oh, I’ve been listening bo that for 25 years, and I expect that I shall go to my grave still hearing it. Mr Bennett: Well, you never heard me say it before. Mr \V. R. Clarke: No. because someone else got in first. Mr Young: The 1920 agreement brought peace to everybody. Mr Smith: It brought loss to the shipping companies; I don’t know about peace. Mr Young: Well, you had your eyes open; a lot of intelligent men; you must have known what you were doing.

Mr Bennett: It was force of cireum stances.

Mr T. F. Anderson: Well, I wish that we had known it at the time.