THE UNION STEAMSHIP COY.

West Coast Times, 13 June 1912, Page 1

THE UNION STEAMSHIP COY.

HIGH PRAISE FROM MINISTER OF LABOUR.

MEN’S WORKING, CONDITIONS BEST IN THE WORLD.

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPYRIGHT.] : DUNEDIN, June 11.

The Minister for Labour (the Hon. George Laurenson) stated in the course of his address last night that since the Titanic disaster the Union, Company's boats have been supplied with extra boats and rafts, so that now every ship under the flag was able to carry in boats or on rafts the maximum number of persons it could take. Mr. Laurenson added that the way that the Union Company conducted its.business generally was a great credit to themselves and New Zealand. Before leaving the Dominion Mr. Havelock Wilson had told him that the conditions under which the seamen and firemen earned their living in New Zealand, taking into account the hours of labour and good wages, were the best in the world. Mr. Wilson went on to say that larger wages were paid in some parts of the Western Pacific, but the general conditions of labour here more than made up for that. The Union Company’s neew Vancouver boat of 13,500 tons is to be named the Sicamous and is to be launched on August 14th.