APPEAL ALLOWED

Southland Times, Issue 19821, 18 March 1926, Page 6

APPEAL ALLOWED

SEAMEN’S WAGES. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, March 17. Reserved judgm % by Mr Justice McGregor to-day allowed the appeal of the Holmwood Shipping Company, Wanganui, from the decision of a Magistrate, awarding Ben Searby, a seaman, £7 11/11 allegedly underpaid him by the company. The facts were that in June, 1924, Searby was an ordinary seaman on the ship Holmwood. He was promoted to able seaman in July and acted as such until discharged in August. He was paid £6 monthly part of the time and £lO for the later period. He claimed for the difference in rates, as under the Seamen’s and Firemens Award, which gives £9 8/4 for an ordinary and £l4 6/8 for an able seaman. His Honour held that the award did not include seamen employed on sailing vessels but only those employed on vessels propelled by internal combustion engines. The facts clearly showed that the wages paid were regularly paid to ordinary and able seamen on vessels of the Holmwood class, trading to and from New Zealand ports.