SHIPMASTERS' STRIKE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13945, 3 July 1907, Page 5

SHIPMASTERS' STRIKE.

NEWCASTLE .CROWDED WITH VESSELS. Press Association—By Telegraph-Copyright. SYDNEY, July 2. 'file shipping masters are firmly resisting the new loading regulations, the result bcihg that Newcastle Harbour is crowded with vessels. On Juno 20 five captain were fined at Isewcastlo for permitting tlieir vessels to remain at mooring buoys moro than 48 hours. * The defence was that the masters.of the vessek were holploas through tlieir inability "to obtain crews. How unjust it was, said Mr Sparke, who a.ppearcd for the defendants, to penalise a shipmaster for remaining moored to a buoy when his vessel, not being fully manned, and tbere-' foro unseaworthy and in distress, 'would bo prevented from going to sea. ■ If a sea captain did put to sea with a bare halfdozen men on board, ho would be guilty practically of manslaughter; yet 6Uch was his position that he could not move anywhore, as there was no place to accommodate his vessel. If the authorities fined shipmasters for not proceeding to sea, they would only assist orimpers, who would benefit by the predicament in which the captains wero placed. The magistrate said that, without expressing any opinion as to the reasonableness of the regulations, ho held that there had been in each case a breach of that by-law. and in justice to the dfeendant ho \said the evidence in regard to tlio scarcity of sailors was properly brought before the court in mitigation of the penalty. Under these circumstances, he fined tho masters of tho ships Pinmore, Jura, and Amazon, respectively £2 each and 6s costs, in default seven days' hard labour, and reduced the fine yesterday imposed on Captain Finnic, of the Lady Wolseley, to the same amount. Captain Feyes, .if the William Eggerts, was fined £1 and cost 6, in default seven days' imprisonment. The next evening a large meeting of shipmasters wai held in the Chamber of Commerce rooms. to protest against tlio aotion of tho Department' of Navigation, which instituted the proceedings. The meeting was very representative of shipping in port, fully 40 shipmasters being present. The object of the meeting was to arrange for a deputation to wait on the Premier while visiting Nowcastle 'the following: day, and place before him the disabilities under which they aver tho shipmasters suffer, and to point out the injustice of enforcing penalties for delays in a port whe.rfi the sole reason for remaining is inability to obtain seamen. The gathering was distinctly cosmopolitan in character, as may be judged by the personnel of tho deputation appointed to represent the shipmasters : —Two Britons, • two Germans, one Norwegian, one Hollander, one Frenchman, one Russian, one Italian, and ono American, presided over t by Captain Mullen.