New-York tribune., 1903-06-17
REI0hED HIS LICENSE.

Masters. pilots and marine engineers holding
United States licenses may not. by concerted
action force readiustment of their wages anu
hours of service. That is the substance of the
decision of the local Board of Steamboat In
spectors in revoking the license of Joseph Cor
nell, striking marine engineer. Cornell was
charged with unlawfully and unreasonably re-
fusing to serve in his official capacity, and with
having conspired with certain other United
States licensed engineers to hinder commerce.
These charges were based Oh his action in leay-
ing his engine on the tug Vigilant on May l, in
concert with number of other engineers, be-
cause the demands of the Marine Engineers
Beneficial Association regarding pay and shorter
hours not complied with on that date.
The board of inspectors sustained all Of the
charges preferred against Cornell.
In arriving at this decision the question as to
whether the demands as to an increase of wages
and hours were unreasonable was not consid-
cred. The manner i'll which these demands
were made, however, was considered. Pri
mariy the demands were made by means of
an unsigned printed slip sent by mail to the
employer of Cornell This purported to ema-
nate from the engineers association. and con-
tanned schedule of wages and conditions of
service. to take effect May ]. 1908" Mr.. Cor
neIi's reason for leaving his engine, according
to his written statement TO his employer, was:
Because my employers refuse to pay the union
wages of The Marine Engineers Association
This made the union party TO his act.
The law specifies that IF any licersed engi-
''neer shall, to the hindrancc of commerce.
''wrongfuIy refuse to serve in his official ca
'pacity on any steamer authorized by the
terms of his license, or if any pilot or
engineer shall refuse to admit in the pilot
"house or engine room any person whom the
master OF owner of the vessel may desire to
place there for the purpose of learning the
profession, his license shall be revoked" Ii
was held that the concerted action of the eugi-
neers an agreement amounting to con-
spiracy to refuse to serve in their official ca
pacties. to the hindrance of commerce. 1t hap
pened in the of the employer of Cornell
that ten of the companys boats were tied up by
the refusal of their engineers to serve after Nav
unless their wages end hours were readjusted
TO conform TO the terms of the engineers as
soeiation.
1t appeared Also that the bylaws of the as
sociation, which the members are sworn by an
oath to obey, conflict with the law and would.
if carried out by its members, violate the spirit,
If not the letter, of the law referred to- In the
words of the decision. they practically impose
1.-The unlawful condition upon firemen learning
1.-The profession of marine engineers that they
"must become members of the engineers as
'sociation precedent to obtaining a license; n
condition not contemplated by law as such
''fremen are practically apprentices to the
business of engineering, such as contemplated
sin the section of law referred to- and are pre-
'sumed eligible for license under the rules of
''the Board Of Supervising Inspectors after
''three years service in the engine room of n
steamer, and are at the end of such service
morally and legally entitled to certificate of
ability from licensed engineers under whom
they have served
In effect. the inspectors declare that master
pilot or marine engineer may not use the ey-