§ LORD LAMINGTON had on the Paper a Question to ask His Majesty's Government as to the attacks reported to have recently been made on Arab seamen in North Shields: also whether these seamen, though members of the National Union of Seamen, are unable to get employment; and to move for Papers. The noble Lord said: My Lords, my Question has reference to a, fracas that occurred at North Shields towards the end of April. At that time there were about thirteen Somalis or Arabs who wished to sign on the steamship "Cape Verde," and were prevented from doing so by a 1314 number of white seamen. In the afternoon they were again resisted and not allowed to enter a shipping office; and after that razors and knives were drawn, there were a good many injuries inflicted, and the police had to interfere and make a baton charge. Up to that time there had been unanimity between the two sets of seamen. The differences only began at the end of December, when the The Seaman, their organ, began a series of articles inciting animosity against coloured seamen, with the result I have described.
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After this fracas Sir Arthur Sutherland, President of the Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom and Chairman of the Newcastle Exchange, made some remarks to the Evening Chronicle regarding the trouble that had occurred. He said:
I and other shipowners were very much surprised to read the statements made in your leader in last night's Evening Chronicle regarding the employment of Arabs on board British steamers, and the insinuation that shipowners are engaging these men because they are cheap labour. I write to answer your queries as under:
In addition to this, these men have all passed the necessary medical examination. I have it on the authority of the correspondent who has approached me in this matter that these men have been in this country for some years, their wives and families are with them, their houses are kept clean and tidy, and the children are well cared for. Therefore it seems very hard that they should be subjected to this treatement. The curious thing is that while our seamen refuse to allow these men to sign on, they allow Greeks, Swedes, and men of other nationalities to work on board our ships. It is merely a question of colour.
§ This may seem a very small affair, but unluckily these incidents have their repercussions in the East—in Palestine, Aden and India, where accounts are given—no doubt rather exaggerated—of what has taken place. It is obviously very unfair that these men should be debarred from serving on board ships by 1315 reason of the hostile action of white sailors. I hope that the noble Lord will say that now there are no restrictions placed on these coloured men. They state that, rather than be a source of trouble to people in this country, they would prefer to be repatriated, though they are very unwilling that they should be. They feel very bitterly that they should possibly be sent out of this country. They are very excellent seamen, and are very much liked by shipowners. They are very free from drunkenness, they do not desert, and they come back to their home port. The point is that the delegates of the National Union of Seamen advise shipowners not to allow these men to sign on. The result is that I hear that even in Cardiff coloured men are debarred from going afloat. I beg to move.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY OF THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT (LORD PONSONBY OF SHULBREDE)My Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Lord for giving me the information on which he based his Question. I think perhaps in his speech he a little bit overestimated the colour prejudice, and did not take into account another factor which at the present time is of very serious account—namely, unemployment. But I think the best way will be for me to give the incidents as they occurred, and inform the noble Lord of the situation as it exists. On April 3 at Hull it was the intention of the Captain of the s.s. "Hesleyside" to sign on nine Arab firemen. After a meeting of some 600 unemployed white seamen, the white members of the crew declined to sail with the coloured men. The police report that the captain tried to obtain coloured deck hands, but failed to do so, and was obliged to sign on an entire white crew. There was no disturbance. The police ascertained that all the nine coloured men concerned were fully paid up members of the Sailors' and Firemen's Union, and that they would have been signed on at trade union rates.
On April 29 at North Shields the s.s. "Cape Verde" was signing on a crew. A number of white seamen were chosen as deck hands, and thirteen Somalis, all members of the National Union of Seamen, were chosen as firemen. The white crew refused to sail with the 1316 coloured firemen, and a large crowd of white and coloured seamen collected. When the Somalis attempted to enter the Board of Trade office to sign on, the white seamen stood in the doorway to prevent them. Further coloured men came over in the ferry from South Shields, and at 4.15 p.m. the chief engineer announced that the ship would not sign on that day. The Somalis then drew knives and razors and made a rush towards the office. The police intervened, and after five minutes' scuffle the Somalis were scattered. Four white men and one Somali were injured. Three Somalis were arrested, two were charged with unlawful wounding, and one with assaulting the police. A number of Somalis were detained for their own protection, and eventually sent back to South Shields. The police appear to have handled the situation very well in the face of threats by the white sailors to lynch the coloured seamen. On April 30, the s.s. "Cape Verde" signed on a complete white crew.
It is not the case that Arabs who are members of the National Union of Seamen are totally unable to get employment. The total number of Arabs domiciled in this country is not large, but the 120,517 engagements of seamen for service in foreign-going ships during the first quarter of this year included 1,116 Arabs (0.9 per cent.). There is no doubt, however, that Arabs in common with other seamen are suffering from the effects of depression in trade and the consequent laying up of shipping. Shipowners have the right to employ the seamen they choose, and so long as there is no breach of the law His Majesty's Government cannot properly intervene. In any case, His Majesty's Government would consider it most undesirable to take any action to promote the employment of Arabs in preference to British seamen. The incidents to which the noble Lord has referred reflect a long standing agitation on the part of British seamen. For several years there has been an agitation among British seamen, among whom there is considerable unemployment, in regard to the employment on British ships of coloured seamen, mainly as firemen. The coloured seamen find it profitable to secure engagements on European articles since their pay is some £9 a month as compared with some £2 10s. a month on Lascar articles 1317 which are signed mainly in India. These coloured seamen are of two kinds, British subjects and aliens. The British subjects are mainly British Indians or Lascars.
As regards coloured alien seamen, they stand really on much the same footing as other aliens who come to this country with a view to taking employment in other industries. One of the main objects of the existing aliens legislation is to protect the British labour market against an influx of foreign competition. The Home Office has certain powers under the Aliens Restriction Acts, and through the immigration officers and the police all practicable steps are taken to prevent any unauthorised addition to the coloured alien seamen population. No coloured alien seamen may land for discharge without the leave of an immigration officer, and under the Special Restrictions (Coloured Alien Seamen) Order, 1925, coloured alien seamen resident in this country are required to register with the police. Any who are found to have landed without permission are liable to prosecution and in proper cases deportation.
Much of the trouble arises from the activities of certain coloured boardinghouse keepers who make a profit out of the engagement of these men and in some cases supply them with forged papers. This statement is borne out by the National Union of Seamen who were asked by the Board of Trade for their observations on the two incidents referred to. They wrote in their reply:—
It will be within the knowledge of your Department that this union is making every effort to solve this question, the difficulties of which are due almost entirely to the activities of the Arab boarding-house keepers …The recent conviction and recommendation for deportation of one of the most 1318 active of the boarding-house keepers will, it is hoped, be of considerable assistance in curtailing this illegal traffic. It has been ascertained from the National Union of Seamen that a joint committee of shipowners and representatives of the union has been established with a view to creating a system of engagement of Arab seamen which will, it is hoped, provide a satisfactory solution of the problem. Every endeavour is made to carry out the provisions of the Special Order of 1925 of the late Government as sympathetically as possible. In the meanwhile, there seems good reason to hope that some arrangement will be agreed to which will successfully prevent such outbreaks as those to which the noble Lord has drawn attention to-day. I have no Papers to lay.
§ Lotto LAMINGTONMy Lords, I am very glad that the noble Lord has been able to say that some arrangements have been made to remove to a certain extent the grievances of coloured seamen. I understand that a distinction is made between an alien coloured man and one who is a British subject.
§ LORD PONSONBY OF SHULBREDEThat is so.
§ LORD LAMINGTONNot many aliens get into the country, and, therefore, they are not very much concerned. The majority of these coloured seamen, I understand, are British subjects, and, as I have said, I am glad that there is some chance of more satisfactory arrangements being made to give them a certain amount of justice. I beg to withdraw the Motion.
§ Motion, by leave, withdrawn.
§ House adjourned at five minutes before eight o'clock.