FOREIGN V. BRITISH SEAMEN

Otago Witness, Volume 25, Issue 2321, 25 August 1898, Page 46

FOREIGN V. BRITISH SEAMEN

In a communication addressed to several of the London daily papers, Mr G. Elliot Bramago, chairman of the General Shipownei-3' Society, London, makes sonic interesting observations on the subject of inarming the mercantile marine. He states, inter alia, that an "impression exists that the foreign seaman is employed because ho is cheaper than the British seaman, and satisfied with inferior food, whereas it was a well-known fact to residents of nil seaport towns that such was not the case. The wages of able seamen, whether British, Scandinavian, or otherwise, were 'the wages of the port,' and the minimum supply and nature of the food was regulated by the iioaid of Trade. It was clear therefore that the seamen of the Scandinavian and other countries was not taken on the ground oi economy. Why, then, was ho go

numerous in our mercantile marine? Our seamen of middle age, who were brought up in sailing vessels, and know their business, are becoming scarce, but are, as a' rule, good men wheu they keep sober. Those who are younger are frequently poor sailors, and drawn from a class not noted for either ability or sobriety, and apparently not much benefited from the school board. 'The nursery for English seamen has nearly disappeared, m consequence o£ the gradual ellucement of the sailing ship, and tho preponderance of steamers, which have little or no use for masts and sails. The increased number of trawlers, both sail and steam, have absorbed many boys who used to adopt the sea as their trade. The question is, then, what arc the remedies? Here opinions differ amongst the shipowners themselves. I must, therefore, confine myself to expressing my own views, and perhaps only a portion of the shipowners'. I disapprove of any cuilailmcnt of the supply of foreign seamen in our ships at present, because as a rule they are better sailors than our own, being steadier and more subservient to discipline than ihe majority of our seamen. I think the time has now arrived for compelling every steamer above 700 ions net register to carry apprentices according to the tonnage. I know that this plan will be objected to by some, on the ground that steamers do not make good sailers; but it is obvious that with the disappearance of the sailing ship the need for learnin^ to- reef, go aloft, make sails, and so forth, disappears also, and the entire work is changed, and such knowledge will become superfluous.

The Union Steam Ship Co.'s Taien, Captain J. " Shepherd, with cargo from Sydney and Newcastle, via northern ports, arrived at the George street pier, Port Chalmers, at 7.15 a.m. on the 16th. She left Sydney at 11.30 p.m. of July 20. On the voyage of the Rimutaka from London to Wellington on the afternoon of August 3 <xn abU seaman named Hanaen, when coming down from aloft, missed his hold and fell overboard, striking the rail in his fall. Boats were pulled round the ship, and a diligent search made Jor the missing man for three-quarters of an hour, with no result, after which the vessel resumed her voyage. . , The s.s. Tarawera, from Melbourne, arrived on Sakirday morning. She left Melbourne at 5 pm. on the 13th, called at Hobart on the 15th, and left again same day for the Bluff; was abeam Puyscgur light at 8 pm. on the 18th, and arrived alongside the Bluff wharf at 6 a.rn on the 19th; left again at 3 p.m The s.s. Wakatipu, from Sydney, arrived on Sahu-day evening. She left Sydney at 2 p.m. on the 13th inst., and arrived at Wellington at 8 a.m. on the 18th. The s.s. Mararoa, from Sydney, via Auckland arrived early on Sunday morning. She left Sydney on the 10th inst. at 6 p.m., and arrived at" Auckland on the 15th at 6 a.m. During the week ending August 21 the following vessels have been at the Dunedin wharves : —Arrivals: Taicri, s.s., 1071 tons; Jerfalcon, barquentine, 287 tons; Taupo, s.s., 408 tons, Hinenioa, s.s., 252 tons; Napier, s.s., 48 tors; Tarawera, s.s., 1269 tons; Wakatipu, s.s., 12,58 tons; Wanaka, s.a., 1572 tons; Firth of Forth, barque, 830 tons; Mararoa, s.s., 1381 tons; fnveicaridll, s.s., 123 tons; total, 8181 tons. Departures: Napier, 48 tons ; Invcrcargill, s.s., 123 tons; Westralia, 1819 tons; Taicri, s.s., 1071 tons? Hinernoa, s.s., 282 tons; Taupo, s.s., 4JB tons ; total, 3751 tons. The barque Firth of Forth, from Glasgow, arrived on Saturday evening, anu was berthed at the Victoria wharf. She left Glasgow on May 11. She brings 1200 tons of cargo, 900 tons of which are for Dunedin, the balance being for Wellington. The Union Steam Ship Company mi end opening a branch office at Zeehan for the Tasmanian trade. The s.s. Kawatiri, now undergoing alterations at Wellington, proceeds shortly to Tasmania. On her arrival the s.s. Orowaiti i ©turns to New Zealand to undergo similar alterations to the Kawathi. The s.s. Penguin goes to Tasmania to be employed in the Hobait, Strahan, and Melbotuue tivdc. The company have also purchased the tug Pilot, which will be used for harbour purposes. It is the intention of the Union Steam Ship Company to take the Kotoinahana oS the Lyt-telton-Wellington running about the beginning of next month, for the purpose of a thorough overhaul, which will include the xetubing of her six boilers, so that, if necessary, the whole six can be worked on special occasions, which will give her a speed of about 16 knots an hour. The steamers Penguin and Te Anau are mentioned as likely to replace the Eotomahana, which will resume running towards the end of November.

The s.s. Duke of Devonshire will make Dunedin her final port of call, leaving about September 29.

The a. s. Monowai, -whiclx ia expected to aniv© on the 30th inst., will be docked for the customary oveihaul, and the s.s. Waikare will take up her Tunning. The s.s. Wanaka's next trip will be to Calcutta with a load of horses, leaving here <a September 30. That the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company have faith in the future development ot trade with New Zealand is demonstrated by the fact that a contract has been let for another powerful steamer, to be built on similar lines to the Waiwera, which is now being constructed lo the order of the company by the Messrs Denny, of Dumbarton.

The s.s. Taieii was floated out of the graving deck on Monday morning, and her place taken up by the s.s. Pukaki, which is to be cleaned and re-painted. The barque Doris, from New York, arrived off Ota?;o Heads on Monday forenoon, and was boarded by Pilot M'Doaald, and tendered by the s.s. Plucky, which brought her up to an anchorage in Deborah Bay at 1 p.m., her draught of water being 19ft Gin aft, and 18ft Chi forward. The Doris is a handsomelooking barque of 3295 tons net, and is composite built, 1, ng iron frames with steel plates. She is oi^ of the largest sailing vessels that has anchored in Deborah Bay for some years, being 248 ft 6in long, 35ft 3in beam, and 21ft 6in deep. Her passage from port to po-t has occupied 97 days. Captain Hobertson reports that on August 16 at 4 p.m. Mr Henry Cotter, the second mate, whose watch on deck it was, fell in a dead faint on the fore braces. He \vaa immediately picked up and attended to, but died four hours later from apoplexy. The body was buried at sea on August 17 in lat. 47.42 S., and long. 157 E.

A decided improvement on the old class of vessel which has hitherto visited this port from the United States, will be the projected line of steamers between the States and these colonies, of which it appears Otago is to be the final port of arrival. Thews is now doubt a considerable advantage in time will r e gained by the establishment o' a steam service, such as the Tyser lino propose. Messrs David White and Co., launch and boat builders, of Plantation, Glasgow, who werj the first to build an aluminium boat on the Clyde, have been requisitioned lately for the production of a number of other craft, in which aluminium is the principal material in the structure. Hitherto, teak has in most instances beon used to some extent for finishing off, but in the case of the latest craft turned out aluminium has been used cxchisively. This boa,t has been prepared in detachable sections for a party proceeding to Klondyke, lightness and portability of course being of the first importance. Although. 18ft long, the little craft only weighs a little over 2cwt, and when the sections are packed into each other, the whole can be put into a box or kit-bag.

An Association of Accountants is being promo Led at Auckland for tka whole colony..