Local Agents? Reply to Statements by Guild Secretary: Coasting Services Seriously Dislocated: Heavy Losses Incurred Last Year: Wages of Chinese Staff Me 1rd Butterfield and Swire, the local agents fe the China Navigation Company, have sent us the following ratement in "rephy'to the public statement by Mr. J. Wa min, Secretary of the 1 Marina Engineers' id of China and acting secretary of the "China Coast Officers" Guild, in regard to the proposed reduction 1 of the salon of the officers of the C. N, Ca, by ten per cent.
"In view of the statement which has been published by the secretary, ne Engineers' Guild and retary of the China Coast Officers' Guild, it is desirable to ex-Plain the circumstances connected with the reduction in pay of the foreign staff of the China Navigation Company, Since July 1925 the China manetion Company' services have Bean seouiy and contamy ale Woated and curtailed by disturbed Political conditions, At the present time, all C, N, Ca, steamers: Set ito Gave cuted Fornogt carryings to Swatow and Canton after complete stoppage for close sear end a hee here stared SSR Otaber 026 but the Beater. here been proning, with reduced cargo, and at Swatow there is still a boycott preventing resumption of chartering trades, which se, ta Tmportake punt of the Spends romaine services. There Coaeactat "hich have feted sates wared"en Shroghl have Mar cerionnly. affected the. Com: pany's southern fleet based on The First Circular On September 15, 1926, the Com-pay cipulted the' foreign wal!"
The Company have now carried 'a full scale of pay for over a Feat la me faceted unpernicled river and Hunan services. Certain steamers were placed under requisition for essential services such as evacuation and the remainder of the Yangtsze fleet was laid up. A euro tailed service was started on the lower river at the end of February, Dut with all lower river ports, except Hankow closed trade is again seriously restricted and disturbed conditions till prevent resumption of the normal schedules. The middle, upper river and Hunan services are completely suspended.
The Company throughout have been anxious to maintain the standard of pay and with that object the reduction has been postponed for considerably longer than results have justified; it was only after the most careful and full con~ sideration that the following cirenlay letter was issued on March 22 (which was the date stated in the Company's circular of December 22, 1926):—Referring to the Company's letter dated December 22 last we regret that present conditions make the reduction of 10 per cent. in pay necessary and this will be put into effect from April 1. The necessity for this reduction was confirmed on March 19, the and date letters were also sent to the secretaries of the two Guilds
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