The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, MAY 8, 1933. THE LETTER OF OTTAWA.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19484, 8 May 1933, Page 8

The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, MAY 8, 1933. THE LETTER OF OTTAWA.

“We have agreed that a policy will be adopted,” wrote Mr Coates representing the Dominion of New Zealand at Ottawa, in a letter addressed to Mr Baldwin, head of the British delegation, “that will have for its definite objective the two fold purpose of raising the price of meat to a remunerative level and of progressively increasing the share of the Dominions in the United Kingdom market.” Have these principles been violated? Mr Leopold Amery, formerly Secretary of State for the Colonies, and one of the staunchest advocates of closer trade relations between the Homeland and the Overseas Dominions, in a letter to The Times, declares that the Argentine and Danish agreements are a disastrous betrayal of the principles of Empire co-operation. “While these agreements may be consistent with the letter of the Ottawa pact, they are, “insists Mr Amerv, “inconsistent with the spirit of Ottawa.” Denmark’s butter allocation, says Mr Amery, definitely restricts the opportunities for expansion of Empire industry, and he charges the Imperial Government with having given Mr Runciman a free hand to destroy piecemeal Britain’s rudimentary tariff and frustrate all the development hoped for from Ottawa. In view of the sharpness of the controversy, it is interesting to recall that under the Ottawa Agreement an understanding was reached on the restriction of foreign meat supplies. This is set out in a letter from Mr Coates to Mr Baldwin appended to the New Zealand agreement. The main points of the letter are: ’ That foreign supplies of mutton and lamb and frozen beef should be reduced, as compared with supplies for corresponding periods in the year ended June 30, 1932, at rates rising from 10 per cent, in the first quarter of this year to 35 per cent, for the quarter ending June 30, 1934. That no increase in foreign chilled beef in excess of the quantities for the year ended June 30, 1932, would be permitted during the period January 1, 1933, to June 30, 1934, and the rate of importation thereafter would not be increased during the period of the Ottawa Agreement except with the concurrence of the Governments concerned. That New Zealand, in order to assist in orderly marketing, would give a reliable estimate of shipments. These estimates were given and were for lamb and mutton 200,000 tons for 1932-33 with a 5 per cent, increase in each of the fallowing years, for frozen beef 22,000 tons for 1932-33, representing a maximum increase over the previous season of approximately 10 per cent.

It is understood that, in consideration of this undertaking on our part (to give reliable estimates) no restriction will be placed by his Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom upon the importation of any meat from New Zealand during the period ending June 30, 1934.

Efforts are being made < in the Homeland by almost rebellious Conservatives to delay the coming into operation of the latest trade agreements, until meat prices have reached a level remunerative to Home producers. Fears have been expressed by friends of the Dominions that the benefits of Ottawa provisions will be lost, for it is generally agreed that the Anglo-Argentine Convention sets a limit on the progressive increase of the Dominions’ share in the British market by stipulating that: “If it should become necessary, in order to secure remunerative prices in the United Kingdom market, to reduce the various categories of Argentine meat below the Ottawa levels, the effect upon the price level desired shall not be negatived by replacing these reduced imports of meat from other countries, including the British Dominions.” Presumably the benefits of Ottawa seem to have been retained, but it is plain that the Dominions will not be granted a “progressively increasing share in the United Kingdom market,” which all along has been hoped for if the letter and spirit of Ottawa were honoured.

THE SHIPPING HOLD-UP

Complete paralysis threatens the coastal shipping of Xew Zealand unless early success crowns the efforts of representatives of shipowners and the men who are engaged in the important task of harmonising the conflicting ideas of owners of ships and the men who work them. The upheaval, which threatens to increase in scope, has been caused by the refusal of the seamen to accept the terms offered them as from May 1. Following the breakdown of negotiations and the attempt by the seamen to hold up the shipping of New Zealand, the secretary of the New Zealand Shipowners’ Federation issued the following explanatory statement: “The Seamen's Union agreement made in 1930 expired on August 31, 1932. It remained in full force and effect until November 1 last, at which date a reduction of 10 per cent, in all wage rates was put into effect by agreement between the Shipowners' Federation and the Seamen's Union. This 10 per cent, reduction was a temporary arrangement pending the taking of a ballot by members of the union upon certain proposed amendments of the agreement which had been submitted to the union by the shipowners

at the end of a lengthy conference, together with a further reduction of 5

per cent, in wage rates. “The result of the ballot was the rejection of these proposals, and a further conference between the ship owners and the unions commenced on March 29, and with some adjournments continued until April 24, at which date it concluded.

“It was agreed at this conference that the conditions proposed by the owners sfiould be put Into effect as from May 1 and that a small committee of representatives from each side go further into the question of the proposed 5 per cent, reduction in wages with a view to exploring all possible avenues of amicable settlement. This arrangement agreed to between the shipowners and the executive of the union has been rejected by the union meetings held in Wellington. Faced with the definite refusal of the Seamen’s Union to permit their members to man the ships under the terms agreed to some weeks ago, pending a settlement of the dispute involving another cut of 5 per cent, in the pay of all classes of labour engaged on ships, with home ports in New Zealand, the owners accepted the challenge of the men and decided to engage free labour to replace the men who had refused to take the ships to sea. The men have replied by withholding all labour for ships, and the complete hold-up of shipping is threatened unless a settlement is made or sufficient free labour is forthcoming to man the ships involved in the dispute. The shipowners can show that even if the full 5 per cent, is deducted from the pay of men working under the New' Zealand charter, the remuneration for all classes of labour will exceed the scale of pay now operating in Australia, as the following comparisons show: Proposed

Note.—ln addition to these rates seamen are “found” aboard the ships. Under the 1930 agreement the various ratings received 15 per cent, higher pay than now proposed, but a 10 per cent, was accepted under former agreements. The unions, however, have repudiated the agreement made by their representatives which was to come into operation on May 1, and did not involve further reduction of 5 per cent. As a matter of fact, the seamen are now' refusing to work under terms that have been in operation for some months. The shipowners met the men by postponing any further reduction in pay, pending further investigations, but the seamen of New' Zealand, led by the Wellington Union have rejected all proposals (even those accepted by their owm representatives), and the shipowners have to face the threat of a widespread upheaval in sea transport unless they capitulate or arrange for their ships to be taken to sea by free labour.

TOO MANY INFORMAL VOTES.

In view of the increasingly large proportion of informal votes cast in the local body elections held on Wednesday last, the Town Clerk of Timaru rendered an important service to the community by drawing pointed attention to this arresting phase of election by popular vote. Hundreds of votes were lost because of the carelessness of the offending elector; while others were not recorded, seemingly because of the confused state of mind into w'hich numbers of electors were throw-n, not only by the number and variety of the issues submitted to the judgment of the voter, but by the system of voting. In Wellington an extraordinarily large number of informal ballot papers w'ere received. Four issues w'ere submitted to the electors, and no fewer than 6752 electors disfranchised themselves by misusing the ballot papers. The returning officer in Wellington has stated that he had no doubt whatever that the system of voting employed is not the best one for the average person. This officer says he has come to the conclusion that in asking each voters to strike out the names of the candidates for whom they do not wish to vote, local bodies arc inviting some confusion of thought iu view of the fact that in the Parliamentary election, voters are asked to make a cross opposite the names of candidates they favour. The experience in Timaru was repeated in Wellington and elsewhere, in which the most general manner of invalidation was the act of leaving too many names unscored. It is interesting to mention that some months ago the Auckland City Council took time by the forelock and had passed through Parliament a short Bill enabling it to use the sign of a cross opposite the candidate's name for whom the elector desires to vote instead of the system of crossing out the names not wanted. The superiority of this system was emphasised on Wednesday last not only in the speed with which the voting was completed, but by the substantial reduction in the voting papers rendered invalid.

N .Z. Australian. £ s. d. £ s. d. Boatswain 13 15 0 12 14 3 A.B 12 15 0 11 16 3 Ordinary Seaman . 8 17 6 7 8 6 Fireman 14 15 6 13 12 6 Trimmer 12 15 6 11 16 3