The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-11-29
STATEMENT BY
THE ENGINEERS
tFrom Thursdays Advehtiser)

the article in the Advertiser Novem
| Der %. 1907, under the heading, 9TH
Whole Story Told" 1 request space I
insert the other side of the story
which is as follows:
The marine engineers of Honolulu il
their efforts to obtain an increase o
wages have considered it a matter con
corning only the Inter-Island Steam
Navigation Company apd themselves
and. believing their cause to be a jus
and honorable one, did not court pub
licity or endeavor to enlist public sym
pathy through the press.
But since the IL. S y. Co. have
made public all the correspondence or
the subject between the marine en-.
| gineers and themselves, the engineer:
now feel that in justice to themselves
they should comment on their side OF
the.case and present some of the more
important causes that led up to theiI
request for an increase of wages.
Some twelve months ago the cap
tains of the IL. S. n. Co. made a
lOI an llNICdSS Va
wages and gave the company very
sort time in which to comply, and
their demands were met, and as the
wage-schedule proposed by the engin-
GERS has been published, l herewith
enclose the schedule presented and put
into effect by the captains in the Inter-
Island employ:
First class-Kinau, Claudine, Mauna
Loa.
Second class-Maui, Helene, W. G.
Hall, Millahala.
Third class-Likelike, Iwalani, Ka-
uai, Noeau, Niihau, Ike Au Hou, Kaiu-
lani.
Schedule for masters will be as fol-
lows: First class, slS5 per month;
second class, S175 per month; third
class. S165 per month.
Allowance for board increased to 81
per day. or SS Is cents per meal. extra
compensation at the rate of $40 to be
peid to masters of vessels which are
required TO give their services on SUM-
days or legal holidays in conveying
excursionists. emigrants or upon being
dispatched on special trips conveying
cargo to or from any port. where sun
days or legal holidays are consumed
in so doing.
This success OF the captains made
the engineers sit up and take notice
and wonder IL they, also. could not
get n raise on the Increased cost or
living In Honolulu, and. knowing they
would not get any raise In pay without
asking for Il. determined ON the itth
OF September TO present a new and in
creased scale OF wages TO the IL. $,
n, Co and ask for n conference. which
the already published correspondence
shows took place. At the conference
the engineers were complimented by
the directors of the IL. $, n. Co. FOR
the gentlemanly and courteous man
ner in which they had presented their
case.
AS the correspondence also shows,
the result OF the conference was a
small advance In wages by the IL, S.
n. Co., but before the association had
had sufficient time TO consider their
and signify their accept
ance or rejection. the IL. S. N. Co.
attempted to force this advance on the
first few men that went to the pay
no doubt hoping thereby to
commit the whole by the actions of a |
few; but the scheme failed. The en-
sineers then rejected the company's |
Differ and reiterated their original re-
quest, and met with a refusal 1t
was then up to the men to continue
lnder the old schedule or resign. which
after alternative they have chosen.
When arbitration was suggested by
he IL. S. N. Co, many of these res
gnations had been sent in and the
men had taken their stand, and to ac-
,ept arbitration at that stage of af-
airs would appear like an act of re-
,entance on their part and weaken
heir case. If the IL. s. N. Co. had
arbitration instead of at
empting to force their arbitrary adj
'ance, the same would, no doubt, have
zen cheerfully accepted at that time.
The fact that the cost of living has
in Hawaii is potent to all, !
s witness the action of the Honolulu
'hamber of Commerce, November IA, |
n recommending an increase of sal {
ries of Federal Territorial officers for
he same cause.
The engineers feel that they are en- '
tiled to the same consideration as
Their responsible officers of the IL. S. /
I. Co. as the cost of living is the same
, both.
This increased cost of living is also $
lanifest all over the United States, as G
ew and increased wage-schedules f
ave been successfully put into opera g
on lately by the marine engineers in h
ew York and on the Great Lakes and d
n the Pacific Coast. They expect a
ew schedule to go into effect the first t
January, 1908. The increase of q
ages the engineers ask for will not e
nbarrass the company financially, as i
lie total amount asked for would not q
ecrease the monthly dividends five
snts per share.
H. G. WOOTTEN,
Secretary.
-e<-s-