MARINE ENGINEERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15705, 6 March 1913, Page 8

MARINE ENGINEERS.

' CONFERENCE IN WELLINGTON. ' SUCCESSFUL TERMINATION ANTICIPATED. ' (Fbou Ora Own Cobbsspohdbit.) WELLINGON, March 5. It is practically certain that a settlement of tie dispute between the Union Steam Ship Company and tho marine engineers ia its;employ will bo announced to-morrow. The Hon. W. F. Hassey (Prima Minister) presided to-day over a conft:enco of tho parties to the dispute, which lasted for over two hours. Eventually it was decidedly to adjourn until to-morrow, when it is hoped that another hour's discussion will lead to a full settlement. ,The conference assembled in tho Cabinet room at Government Buildings at 4.30 p-m. to-day. The representatives of tho Union Company were Messrs W. A. Kennedy (Wellington manager), D. A. Aitken (assistant manager at Dunedin), and W. G. Smith (of the Union Company's Dunedin staff). Tho Marine Engineers' Institute was represented by Messrs A. Wallace (Wellington secretary), S. D. Hanna (Auckland secretary), and W. C. Hampton (a member pf the Wellington committee). Mr P. Hally (Conciliation Commissioner) was present when the delegates assembled, but did' not attend the conference. The sitting lasted without interruption until 7.15 p.m., when it was agreed to adjourn until 10.15 a.m. to-morrow. .Before the conference assembled there was talk of a possible adjournment pending the airival of Sir James ■Mills, who is to arrive from Dunedin tomorrow. The course indicated was not taken, and it ia understood that the delegates decided that any agreement arrived at regarding any of the details in dispute should be final and binding on both parties— that is to say, negotiated with full powers to make or refuse a settlement Sir James Mills will attend the conference when it resumes to-morrow.

A reporter who made inquiriai this evening gathered that tho parties at the conference met one another in a very friendly spirit It is stated that the proceedings Were in the nature of a talk round tho table, and that no record was taken of tho discussions. It was further ascertained that a good deal of timo was taken up at tho conference in preliminary discussions leading up to the crucial point at issue. The ground has now been cleared, and it is expected that to-morrow's proceedings will bo brief and to the point. Although some (Juestioira in dispute still remain unsettled, there ia every reason to believe that the conference will bring its work to a suocessiul termination to-morrow morning.

■ The exact nature of the agreement, which will be at is still mora or less a matter of eunnise, but some definite facta are available. Wages -wore rot in dispute as the company has agreed in recent conferences with the engineers to conocde the .Australian award rates. This entails an advanoe of about 15 per cent, on the wages paid at present in New Zealand ships. One of tho most important questions in dispute is that of overtime. The company has hitherto refused to cojicedo ovcrtimo payment save for hours, worked in excess of •56 per week, and even eo stipulated that the overtime paid to any one engineer should not exceed £2 per month. The engineers are demanding overtime payment under the Australian award conditions for all houTS worked in oxcess of ei#ht per 4ay. It could not be ascertained to-night whether the question of overtime had been . settled, but it 13 n, known fact that the engineers' representatives went to the conference under instructions from their organisation to demand the local application of the Australian award in its essential , features. It is, therefore, probable that the New Zealand agreement when it is made will not differ in any material particular 'from tho Australian award though modifirationa, reasonable in view of local conditions, may be agreed to.

.'■. An incident with a highly significant "bearing on the position at the moment is that, the Union Company's steamer Maheno after being detained at Sydney for several hours to-day was released this evening. The Maheno under ordinary circumstances would have left Sydney for Auckland at noon to-day, but her engineers, in common with their brethren, had given 24 hours' notice on Tuesday morning, and when the time for sailing arrived the Maheno • remained tied up to the wharf. In view of the favourable turn which negotiations took at to-day's conference, tho Maheno was released by a cable' from the headquarters of: the Engineers' Institute in New Zealand, which authorised her engineers to return to their employment New Zealand time is reckoned to be an hour and a-half ahead of Sydney time, and, allowing for this difference the Maheno was delayed for something over six hours.

NOTHING TO SAY. (Pee United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, March 5. Sir James Mills passed through to-day on his way to Wellington, but informed a roporter that ho had no newt to impart regarding tho trouble with tho engineers. SIR JAMES MILLS'S SURPRISE. REPLY BY MR "WALLACE. (Per United Pbess Association.) WELLINGTON, March 5. In reply to the surprise expressed by Sir James Mills at the precipitate action of the engineers, tho local secretary (Mr Wallace) explains that the result of tho ballot was known to tho executive of the Marine Engineers' Institute on Friday night. He (Mr Wallace) communicated with Mr Kennedy (local manager of tho Union Company) on Saturday morning,, and made known tho result of tho ballot, and asked him to conmnmacate -with the lieadquarters of tho oompany at Dunedb. "The company," said Mr Wallace, "did not offer us any inducement to come to terms. I suggested that Mr Kennedy should ask for power to conduct negotiations here, but there was no definite result, and eventually the whole thing was held over until Monday. On Monday I again communicated with Mr Kennedy, and, at my ho again oommunicated with Dunedin, and,_ I supposo again put our case before ln9 company. He wamted to know what he ehould say, and I told him the men wanted tho Australian award, and th-at if the company declined to give any guarantee to agree to these terms I would then be in a position, to advise tho engineers aa to the next course of action. The reply to this was definite— that tho company would- not give the Australian award, and that it would take tho risk of the engineers coming out."