THE WAIPA POST. Printed on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. SATURDAY, 13th AUGUST, 1932. SHIPPING COMPETITION IN THE PACIFIC.

Waipa Post, Volume 45, Issue 3216, 13 August 1932, Page 4

THE WAIPA POST. Printed on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. SATURDAY, 13th AUGUST, 1932. SHIPPING COMPETITION IN THE PACIFIC.

THE conditions under which Austra- | liah and New Zealand shipping competes' in the Pacific with American subsidised lines has been fully dealt 'with in many of the Dominion newspapers, including The Waipa Post; ' consequently our readers are aware 1 of the position in greater detail than pit is'necessary to set out here. The I matter is now to be the subject of dis- ; at Ottawa, a*id Australian 1 Ippinioniwill undoubtedly endorse the I views which we have already ex--1 pressed. ; In Sydney industrial circles 1 are particularly active to press the matter forward for public attention, and this activity is understood. The two ships Aorangi and Niagara now employ approximately 1000 wage- • . earners on and by the ships; also the '' trades unions have tabbed up 70 firms which' would be adversely affected I : wer/;these two ships to alter present I^arrangements. Australian industrialists do not fear • that these ships will be laid up, but they do fear that they will be transferred 1 to Canadian articles. Were this

to be done the wages lost to Sydney would be. tremendous. The rates of ' pay to the'individual employees would f also be lower, and, Whi'e this would ihelp the shipowners to meet in some '/ measure .the unfairness of the present .position, : '-it would be to the detriment • of the employees affected. Comparisons'of rates otpay are unfavourable is.' to -American seamen, they being as| (V follow:-^'"•» Sailors:. Australia, £l2 12s; New Zealand, £ls 4s; United States, £ll 6s. Firemen and oil-burners: Aus- ' tralia, £l4 8s; New Zealand, £l|^4s; Un ; ted States, £l2 |s 7d. ' • 'lf;.. ' ■ The major claim'"of Americans that American industry has to sustain a 5 higher standard of living • than its competitors' does ftot, therefore, hold good in comparison with Australia \ and New Zealand on wage; rates alone. But other conditions of working, also. are more onerous to the shipowners . operating - on Australian and New . Zealand articles than on American.

For instance, large sums are paid in overtime to Australian and New Zealand workers, but Australian industrialists claim that this is not so paid to Amerian employees of the ships; also that annual and weekly holiday pay is received by the former but not by the latter. Australian labour leaders do not consider this to be a fight between American and Australasian shipowners, but one in which the employees are interested to a far greater extent than the owners. No doubt that is so, but the Australian labour leaders, if they were candid, would admit that they themselves are in no small way to blame. It is all very well to " make a big noise " in invoking the sympathy of the general public; but there have been times—all too numerous —when those same labour leaders have ignored the general public when they have brought about strikes for more or less petty reasons unless one concedes that personal ! aggrandisement should come under the ! term petty. There have been very many interruptions -of the passenger and cargo service carried on by the steamers on the AustraHan or New Zealand register, and the inconvenience and loss caused to passengers and shippers were as nothing to the blatant self-importance of the labour leaders. One must feel like saying now is the time for them to be given an opportunity to "stew in their own juice," but considerations of national welfare call for support of any proposal that would prevent the control of shipping services between any two British ports being placed in the hands of foreigners—for that is what will result if the Americans are not treated ident : ca!ly as they treat the British merchant marine. Remember that the astute Americans declared Hawaii 'to be in American territorial waters even though distant many hundreds of miles from the Pacific Coast—and that their sh'pping Jaws prevent British or any other than American vessels plying between any j two American ports. If that is fair. ; and in teh interests of Amerinac shipping, it is also fair that only British vessels should be allowed to ply between any two British ports—such as Suva and Auckland or Auckland and Sydney. As a fact, any vessel, no matter of what registry, is allowed to ply between two British ports—but the Americans discriminate unfairly, and if John Bull does not see fit to object they will go on with their unfair competition. At present no British service can ply between Auckland and San Francisco, calling at Honolulu. Well, neither should any American service be able to ply between San Francisco and Auckland, calling at Suva, or between San Francisco and Sydney calling.at either Suva;or Auckland. The shipowners, it is held, can do something to help themselves by transferring to Canadian articles, but should they be compelled to take this course employment conditions will be less favourable, and Australian and New Zealand seamen will be replaced by Canadians and Americans engaged from the other side. It is to be hoped that such a prospect will b 6 dissolved by the deliberations at Ottawa.