[Editor: These four extracts, including items regarding the Post and Telegraph Act of 1901 and the hiring of Lascars on ships, were published in the “Shipping items” section of the Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (Sydney, NSW), 19 December 1902. The Post and Telegraph Act played a minor role in the White Australia Policy.]
Shipping items.
The Orient Company and the Lascar.
Thus Mr. David Anderson:—
“A further attention we received from the Federal Government quarter was the clause in the Post and Telegraph Act, 1901, stipulating that no mail contract should be held by any company employing black crews.
I would like to say to you apropos of this that this line for 25 years employed only British white labour, and that a change was decided on with extreme reluctance, and then only as far as the stockhold is concerned.
This change was not made with any economising object, but was due to the necessity for securing reliable labour. In fact, the hard-working reliable Lascar is regarded with just about the same aversion as the six felt hatters.”
A sensible view.
Mr. David Anderson, of the Orient Co., thus at the luncheon aboard the Orontes:—
“As if troubles were not sufficient, we have heard from Sir Edmund Barton, in his recent speech in Melbourne, that a Navigation Bill is to see the light during the next session, and that amongst its provisions will be one providing that steamers such as these — in which I venture to think you will agree, the comfort of passengers has received some consideration — (applause) — are not to be allowed to trade on the Australian coast unless under the condition that we shall pay the crews the wages current on the Australian coast.
I would inform you that all these men are engaged on articles subscribed to in London, which provide for employment at certain rates to pay for the outward and homeward voyage, and in my judgment any departure from these articles in the way of increased pay or otherwise whilst on the Australian coast is likely to produce at other stages of the voyage unsatisfactory service, tending towards a watering down of discipline.
This is not a state of things it is desirable to give any encouragement to, especially at sea, and for the life of me I cannot understand who of the inter-state steamship companies is to benefit from these conditions. (Ap- plause.)”
A P. And O. manager on trade.
Mr. I. M. Shields, who takes the place of Mr. Trelawny temporarily as superintendent in Australia, was, in an interview yesterday, understood to say that competition is everywhere increasing in the shipping business.
“Of course, trade is also increasing, and the competition is perhaps not more than is warranted. Competition is good for everybody. It is good for ourselves and keeps us up to the mark. We are building larger steamers than ever came East before, to keep abreast of the times, and that we are certainly determined to do, whatever the competition. Large steamers naturally cost more, but we expect to earn more with them, and get more return for our money. Trade to the East has increased largely during the past few years. With Australia it has not been so good, either as regards passengers or freight, excepting last year, which was made special by the fact of the Coronation, but we expect the Australian trade to follow suit with the East with a return of good seasons.”
Questioned as to the possibility of any important developments in connection with his company and the Australian trade generally, Mr. Shields said he had none in his mind, unless the Australians themselves made trouble over the employment of Lascars. “We hope to get on as we are — to live and let live.”
Liners versus coasters. A forecast.
No one is better fitted to express an opinion upon the future policy of the British mail service with Australia than the able and esteemed gentleman who presides over the destinies of the Orient-Pacific line in this country. Some will, however, take issue at the following:—
It has been the policy of this (Orient) line throughout not to compete with the inter-state companies, and it is notorious that the mail companies have throughout kept their second saloon rate at a higher level than the first-class fares charged by inter-state steamers. There has, therefore, been no competition in the proper sense of the word, and to saddle us with an increased payment of wage, with all its attendant disadvantages, cannot put money into the pockets of the local shipowners.
In the event of the Navigation Act being approved of in the form indicated, and assuming that there is to be railway communication between Fremantle and the eastern states, it will be a very nice point for shipowners to decide as to whether they will continue the voyage of the steamers beyond Fremantle.
There will be a rooted aversion to altering the conditions of the articles — the agreement between the crew and the steamship owners — and the feeling may be so strong that rather than subscribe to the condition as to the possible increased payment to be made to the crew, they would rather not continue the voyage.
In such event the steamers would not visit Adelaide, Melbourne, or Sydney, and I think we should then find the Premiers of the States of which these ports are the capitals inquiring whether such a policy is likely to be in the interests of the States they represent.
Source:
Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (Sydney, NSW), 19 December 1902, p. 5
Editor’s notes:
apropos = (French) “à propos”, literally meaning “to purpose” (i.e. with regard to the purpose); pertinent, relevant; opportune, fitting, at the right time; with regard to the present topic, with reference to, with respect to, with regards to, in relation to
articles = a formal legal document, treaty, or written agreement (e.g. an apprenticeship contract, an employment contract, a set of bylaws, an international treaty), comprised of a number of sections (with each clause, item, point, or section being known as an “article”)
Co. = an abbreviation of “Company”
Coronation = the act or ceremony of the formal crowning of a sovereign or a sovereign’s consort; in the context of Australia and the British Empire, usually a reference to the formal crowning of a king or queen of the United Kingdom [in the context of this article, a reference to the coronation of Edward VII, who became King of the United Kingdom on 22 January 1901]
East = the Eastern world; the Orient; Asia, including East Asia (China, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, etc.), Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, etc.), South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, etc.), and West Asia (Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, etc.); of or relating to the Eastern world, the Orient, or Asia
Edmund Barton = Sir Edmund Barton (1849-1920); judge, politician, and first Prime Minister of Australia (1901-1903); he was born in Glebe (Sydney, NSW) in 1849, and died in Medlow Bath (Blue Mountains, NSW) in 1920
See: 1) Martha Rutledge, “Sir Edmund (Toby) Barton (1849–1920)”, Australian Dictionary of Biography
2) “Edmund Barton”, Wikipedia
Lascar = an artilleryman, militiaman, sailor, or army officer’s servant, primarily regarding men hired by British employers from India, but also used to refer to men hired from countries in or near to the Indian subcontinent (“lascar” is derived from the Hindi and Urdu word “lashkar”, meaning “army”)
line = a shipping line; a conveyance or transportation company, such as companies which use airplanes, buses or ships to provide transportation services (carrying or conveying goods or people); a transportation service or system, which consists of regular trips between two or more points (especially over established or set routes, usually with stopping points, ports, or stations along the way)
six felt hatters = the “six hatters” case occurred in December 1902, when six milliners (hat makers, or hat craftsmen) migrated from England to Australia under an employment contract, which was in contravention of Australian immigration law (which banned people from migrating to Australia under contract; a rule which was primarily intended to stop large numbers of Asians migrating under contracted conditions to be used as cheap labour, and was intended to preserve the strength of Australian wages); when the six English hatters arrived on a ship, they were stopped from embarking for a few days, however, an investigation was carried out, which concluded that the hatters had not migrated under a contract which included low wages, so they were given an exemption and were allowed to enter the country; the case attracted a lot of publicity at the time, and it became a notorious example of the inappropriate application of Australian immigration law (although, to be fair, the hatters had technically contravened the provisions of the Immigration Restriction Act)
[Editor: Changed “aplause” to “applause”. “shiping business” to “shipping business”, “firstclass” to “first-class”, “has ,therefore” to “has, therefore”.]
[Editor: The original text has been separated into paragraphs.]
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