The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-09-30
f Their Demands Are Not Granted Men Likely to Leave the Boats
 Immediately.
WILL SPREAD ALL
 ALONG THE COAST
Difficult Conditions Under Which the Employees Work-Legal Points
 Involved.

|* VI
 Especial to the Journal and Courier.) New York, Sept. 29-The probable esult of the efforts of the Engineers Benefcial society's attempt to get an lcrease in marine engineers wages is he principal topic of conversation mong steam and tow boatmen at resent. The matter will come to z risis on Tuesday, as the engineers \ ave informed the owners that they Fill quit work on that day if their emands are not granted. If strike esults it will undoubtedly spread all long the Atlantic coast.
 That the conditions of the seafaring . len in general needs improving is ap- aren't. Skill and responsibility taken 1to consideration, the skilled seaman &4 the most overworked and underpaid If technical laborers. Masters of first lass coastwise steamers get $165 per lorth, first pilots $1OO second pilots #75 to $S5, first mates $70 and second bates $6O Chief engineers on the anne class of vessels are paid $100 and heir assistants generally get about 30. The second class lines pay con- iderably less, about the same as tow oats
 The tow boat scale in New York arbor at present is:
 X Master, $100; mates, $50 engineer, Do; firemen, $35; deckhands, $25 per lonth. This scale is used by the Flan- cry, Hudson, Daltzell, New York Y arbor and White Star towing lines. Il the men are hired for unlimited ours per day, that is, when there Is crk 1t Is to be done regardless of ours. From 3 o'clock in the morning ntil 9 at night is the usual day.
 The men employed on all classes of essels are often kept from their fami- les for months; most lines require the en to remain aboard and stand their # atches when the vessel is in port. lndays and holidays are generally arked by extra excursion trips. Even he tow boat concerns put their larger la raft into the excursion business. The oamboat man has absolutely no leis- Fe or time that he can call his own. course this is not true of some lines, It they are exceptions.
 Of late a system known as the twenty-four hour watch" has been la- igurated on some lines and has been
 wonderful trouble maker The sys- 4 m consists of hiring a master at $100 pr month and mate at $50. The ate is required to hold a masters cense. The boat is then put at har- pr work with a single engineer. The aster takes charge of her and works venty-four hours, then he goes ashore nd the mate goes on for another atch of the same period. This en- r bles the owners to work boat all be time, with licensed master al- avs in charge, and save $50 on the ny roll, as two masters, which they eally are, would Nost $200. But the lgineer! He can sleep when the boat oiOPPCbs ? AAC ID llWcy0 Oll Qulyg 1Or assistant is carried to relieve him. W he federal authorities have taken up his matter and in the near future li- nsed officers of steam vessels will be rbidlen to stand a watch of over : irteen hours which is long time, Do, for a man to stand a crowded irway. The Pilots association is irving to have a ten-hour watch the F gal limit.
 The organiza ton of steamboat off, A 4rs has gone on rapidly and quietly lring the past year, Should the two -ganizations, the Masters, Mates and llots' association and the Engineers enefclal assqciation, call out all their len scarcely a vessel could be moved. There is an interesting point in these eamboat disputes, however, for the psition that the federal authorities III take is an important and undecid-
 question All steamboat officers, eluding engineers and assistants, are ader supervision of the United States eamboat inspectors. Only men who
 we served a three years apprentice ip and passed satisfactory exami- ltfon can be employed in such ca
 city.
 The government does not stoy at |Iz anting an officer a certificate of com
 tency, but goes on to regulate his lties to a great extent. So far does Is supervision go that when steam
 ssel is under way the officers are sponsible only to the government for It's arising out of incompetency in Nvigation or boiler management. An kner on board is simply passenger
 the eyes of the law and has no
 ol of the navigator. This ac-
 unts for the fact that only the hull's
 lvage is liable for damage suits aris- from disaster. A law that seemed ra0~o when only s1OS was sufficient
 ea' lH all claims arising out of the
 rchnont disaster when 150 met
 ath in Long Island sound on the 'ss= ght of Feb. il, of this year. In case
 accident the first 9rt must be T1a.~eN