LABOUR DURING WAR.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 438, 6 July 1915, Page 11

LABOUR DURING WAR.

SEAMEN ON TROOPSHIPS. LESS RISKS THAN ON MERCHANT MEN. Prefix Association. ... WELLINGTON, July C>. A judgment, which is of peculiar iv portanee as embodying the first judici: ' opinion of -its kind given within tl.j - British Empire, was delivered 'in t!.. 1 Supreme Court to-day by his Honour II • Chief .Justice (Sir Robert Stout). I dismisses the appeal of the seamen i the 'steamers Orari and. Limeric v

against convictions and fines recordc i against them for having refused to proceed to sea with those vessels as trai: •

ports. All the seamen had been engaged in Loudon and for the rctu-.i voyage to London. When the Govcj"

ment engaged the vessels as troopshi > v the seamen refused duty. In the course of his judgment l! ' Chief Justice said:—"ln..my opinio., before a -justification for the disobeu ence of the commands of the offi« ■ could have been found, there must haw been proof, and the Magistrate iuu>-. have found that there was an increase I risk to the sailors caused by the owni 1 ;. or those in control of the vessel. mere declaration of war was no enough. The Magistrate has four that there has been no increase of peri . arid I am bound by his finding. 1 mn\. however, say that, judging from winthe German vessels have done to commerce, I should have come to th ■ same conclusion. The German Nav\ - has shown in its treatment of British merchantmen that the German natio.i has no regard for international lav,. It has acted as if it were without honoui. chivalry, and morality, and therefore the crew of the Orari and Limeri<- v had greater peril in proceeding with a.>:ordinary' cargoto -LoiidanV'Avithout th •

escort of war vessels of the Allies tha>i prpceeding to London with an ordinary

cargo and some additional troops undo .*■ the convoy of the Allied squadron. 1 am therefore of opinion that the appeals must be dismissed."