AUSTRALIA’S NAVY MEN.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XVII, Issue 5605, 30 April 1919, Page 3

AUSTRALIA’S NAVY MEN.

PROBLEM Of MANNING THE SHIPS. The question M manning the. Australasian Navy with Australians has raised a grave problem, which the Commonwealth Govcivnmeut lias now taken steps to sohe. Al present there are 1141 men whose engagements have expired or will expire on June 80 of this year, who, under the provisions of the.' Naval Defence Act, were compelled tc service until the termimmon ol hostilities : The Acting-Minister for the Navy (Mr Poynton) stated recently that a canvass of the Meet had been mad© and only ■>'/ men had signified their intention of re engaging in the Australian Navy This meant that out of 1141 men. •1044 - would Jake their discharge. Many factors, the Minister said, might contribute to this state cu affairs, one being that the men might desire a spell ashore alter .four years’ service, and it was possible that many of these would return to the navy after a time. Built was also considered that one im portant factor was the inadequate rate of pay in the Navy compared with that of the man ashore. The Government recently approved of the payment of a gratuity of £25 to men re-engaging:, but this had had no appreciable result in getting men to stay. After careful consideration, therefore, a Pay Committee, which was appointed by the Naval Board to consider the rates ruling in the Australian Navy, had proposed that general increases should be made in these rales. The Government had approved of Hese proposals, and that the follow ing increases should be made Boys and ordinary seamen, second class, 6d per diem deferred pay; ordinary seamen, .first class, fid; able seamen, lOd; stoker, 10d; leading seamen, Is; petty officers, Is: chief petty officer, Is 2d. As regards officers it was decided, as a general rule, to pay Is per diem "over and above the Royal Navy rates. Married allowances are to be brought practically in accord ,vith the separation allowance granted to the A.I.F. Under this arrangement the scale will be as follows Wife and no children, officers 2s fid!'petty officers and men, 2s; one child;., 3s and 2s fid; two children, 3s fid and 3s; three children, 4s and 3s 3d; four children, 4s and 3s fid; five children, 4s and 3s fid; six children, 4s all round. Thus an able seaman who is single, under the new rates, will be entitled to draw in pay and allowances £3 0s 8d per week, which is about the average that an ironworker’s assistant ashore would make under his award. The Minister expresses the 'rope that the new rates will have the effect of inducing Australians to make the navy a. career.