On Wednesday, Mr. G. A. Laws, the Secretary of the
Shipping Federation, gave evidence before Group B of the Labour Commission. He declared the " crimping " system,. which, though illegal, is largely carried on, to be exceedingly injurious to both masters and men, and suggested that the- shipowners should be allowed to employ agents licensed by the Board of Trade to engage seamen for them. Another officer of the Federation, Mr. Robb, a dock-superintendent,. stated that the Federation had established a free-labour bureau, which would be permanent, and that they engaged men whether they were unionists or non-unionists. "These men would be put on to do docking, stevedoring, coaling, or discharging, and they would be paid at the rate of wage now being paid for those different classes of work. They had now 850 free- labourers enrolled, and about 600 of these men got constant employment. He was opposed to men being paid daily, and he thought it was a much better plan to pay them weekly or at the end of the job."
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