THE COLOURED CREWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2928, 27 April 1910, Page 11

THE COLOURED CREWS.

COMPETTION WITH LASCARS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, April 17. The agitation by the Seamen's Union for united action by New Zealand and Australia against the P. and O. Company for the use of coloured labour on their steimers, has caused some consternation in local business circles. Against the views expressed by members of the union, a leading shipping authority, who was seen by a Herald representative, said the lascars on the P. and O. liners did not come into comoetition with white

labourers in the way the union appeared to believe, because they worked no cargo in any shape or form when they arrive here, while at sea they replaced only a very small number of European seamen. Further, the lascars are not engaged in the same manner as white seamen. The method pursued is that a certain number of sirangs (or quartermasters) are engaged by the company, and the remainder of the coloured crew are practically indentured under the sirangs, so that it is incorrect to say they are paid about 25s per moith. Mr E. Tregear, Secretary of Labour, when seen, said the question of coloured labour was the origin of the last great industrial trouble which affected New Zealand —namely, the maritime strike of 1890. Although this strike did not arise in New Zealand, it was in consequence of the intense hostility of the Australian workers to visiting ships trading with coloured crews in Australian waters that a sympathetic strike book/ place in New Zealand. Therefore, if the question arose

now, or soon, its seriousness in the eyej of organised labour might be calculated b< the resentment it caused 20 /ears ago.