The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1903-06-25
SAILORS ARE WELL PAID.
These Employed ON the Great Lakes
Have Little Grouad for COM
piaina on This score.

amount Of money paid to the men on
shipboard and for all kinds Of marine
work.
For years Il has been known that in
many things pertaining 10 the marine
industry the great lakes have no
parallel, but this one is the latest de-
yelopment. For instance. Cleveland,
Ashtabula and Conneaut have for
years been handling cargoes Of iron
ore into and out Of the holds Of vessels
faster than any place else in the world.
Other cargocs have been handled with
equal speed, says the Cleveland
Leader.
Vessel property on the lakes has paid
better than on any other water and
now It comes out that the wages Of the
men on shipboard and those on tho
docks are better than those paid else
where. This statement came cut from
the simultaneous publication Of the
new wage scales Of the great lakes for
the coming season and thewages witch
are paid by two Of the prominent ma
tions Of the world. For instance. the
chief officers Of the leading boats Of
the Hamburg-American line and Of
the North German Lloyds line receive
respectively si20 and 5000 per month.
These officers have duties far more
onerous han those Of the masters Of
the biggest lake ships. Lake masters
receive between $1,000 and S2,4 400 for a
season Of eight.months.
On the ocean the American line
boats, which are compelled 10 have at
least half Of their crews composed Of
American sailors, pay for able-bodied
seamen S25 a month, While the German
line boats pay sli.75. These men are,
of course, boarded. On the lakes by
the recent agreement men having sim
liar positions receive SIS a month up
TO 0etob and sos a month there
after
On the ocean fremen are paid $40 a
month by the American line and from
si0.0s to s2i.42 by the German lines.
On the lakes last season the firemen
received $50 4 month for the first half
of the season and 500 month after
October !. These statements are rath-
er astounding as showing the manner
In which workmen fare on the lakes.
The wage conferences on the lakes
are just beginning to be concluded
for this season. The advances giyen
the lake seameu have been the great
est in the history Of the seafaring
business Of this region. incidentally
the vessel owners have put themselves
In peculiar plight. They had expect
ed late opening Of the season of
navigation and consequently shorter
year The lessened time Of running
the boats would naturally give them
better chances for getting higher
rates. The vesselmen. however. had
little choice IN the matter Of wages.
The lake forces are organized more
strougly than ever In their history and
the wages paid were practically com
pulsary. The advances which have
been paid 70 the men on shipboard and
those which win be paid 10 the long
shoremen when the conference now
pending has been concluded will
amount 20 the equivalent Of seven
cents a ton on all Of the ore that IS
handled. II this Is figured on the
same amount Of ore that was brought
down Che lakes last year. e7.000.000
tons It means that the vesselmen are
paving ~ round numbers about Sc .000,-
0H0 more for their services on ship
board than they ever paid before
The predicament in which the vessel
owners find themselves IS peculiar.
Navigation promises to open about a
month earlier than the owners had
looked for The possibility Of getting
guod rates is therefore. reduced hy
that much Last year the smaller
bouts those carrying 1000 tons or
les barely made living This year
the new wages will make that impossi-
bic without higher rates. The season
being long seems 10 suggest the posi-
hllits Of naturally 70 greater rates.
The vessel interests. however, are
banding together 70 fight for higher
rates and the shippers are disposed 70
grant them. The situation an the way
through Is almost unique.