The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-03-07
.6hloh5 FIGHT FOR
SAFER CONDITIONS
Contend Marine Disasters are
:. Caused BY 1nco competency and
- Undermannin


| s,'''' .15 --------------- - .
Backed with solid strength OF over
$4,000 men, the, lake seamen's unions,
whose headquarters are in Chicago.
are planning to. vigorously support
and cooperate in a movement which
will affect both the lake traffic and
the, vast world system Of water trans
portation. g.. e., -:
The lake men, with their American
salt water brothers, will attempt to
align the seamen Of all the important
maritime countries of the globe in a
fight to repeal treaty and statutory
laws authorizing the arrest and i'm
prisonment Of sailors for the alleged
performance of work agreed up
on.
| Bound down by these laws we are
not free like ether labor" the seafarer
urges, "and until we do gain an equal
footing we are handicapped in secur-
ing other reforms. Remove this
threatening club of arrest and Jail
and we will be in position to fight
better and overcome such evils as the
| notorious 'crimping' of sailors, the 'ad-
vance system, and the undermining
of ships"
Must Be Broad in Scope.
To campaign successfully against
these laws the sailors realize that
| their movement must be far brorader
in scope even than national. They
could win successes in favorable ma
tional legislation, but as their inter-
ests are international they must seek
the sympathy and cooperation Of their
brother laborer with whom they touch
shoulders now: in the cold northern
| seas. now among the tropics, now in
southern ports-in fact, in every COR
| ner Of the globe.
To create strong sentiment and
secure the needed cooperation it has
been decided to send one able repre-
sentative at least, although several
| may be chosen, to visit foreign coun-
tries and learn the mild of each for
eign seamen's organization and seek
| to arouse it to the necessity for uni
| versal action. Under present plans
| the representative or delegation will
| leave the United States about June l..
The foreign nations which have sea-
mems unions of more or less strength
are England, Germany, Spain, Hol-
land, Sweden, Denmark, Australia,
New Zealand. and Austria France
has a great national organization,
! which is partially under government
| control. It is expected, however, that
| the French sailors will heartily CO.
! operate and will prove powerful
! factor In influencing their government.
The International Transport Workers
| of Europe, whose headquarters are in
Germany. is another Organization of
| much influence. This body is COM
posed Of many allied shipping trades.
! Australia and New Zealand both have
strong unions, whose voice will be
| sought for this movement.
Lake Unions Strong Factors.
/ The seanfen's object-the right to
stop work and leave their ships at
any time It seems best to them when
their ship is in safe ports now
classed as desertion. Under the gen.
eral maritime law desertion consists
IN absence from the ship without leave
and with an intent not to return. This
act Is punishable by: one or all Of the
following: Forfeiture Of wages, for
feiture Of clothes and other effects
left on board vessel, and imprison-
nent of the offender IN the discre-
ton Of the court. for not more than
one month when deseYtion takes place
In a foreign country.
II an American sailor deserts in a.
United States port or in any port in
domestic trade which includes trade
! between the United States and, Can
| ada, Newfoundland, West Indies, \and
| Mexico, the offense is punishable by
| forfeiture of clothes or other effects
and the wages due the. deserter.
| All Interests are Intertwined.
| The lake seamen are in the fight
NOT because Of direct effect of the
| repeal of the-arrest and Imprisonment
laws ppo nthem. as their waters are
exempt, but because improvement of
! conditions for the. sailor in general
will materially al din improving the
conditions Of the lake men: The in
creasfng freedom of the salt water
sailor gives power to his fresh water
brother to" secure reforms, and when
the lake men have crushed out certain
evils the moral effect upon the ocean
mems course is at once appreciable.
Since the. early '90ss American sea-
men have been in deadly earnest in
their movements for reforms The
alleged oppression of masters and
ship owners and the nefarious work
Of the ''crimps" goaded them to a
point of revolt. a., = I
The "crimps" infested the large
ports Of the United States, and
through, direct and indirect conniv-
ance with. dishonorable shipmasters
and ship owners systematically robbed
the sailor and kept him in slavisl,
condition. These men, usually Of the
kWest type, were agents commits
stoned to ship crews. 1t was their
practice to decoy seamen to- filthy
lodging houses o. dives Of i'll >charac-
ter. Through protested friendship they
loaned the sailor money or clothes,
taking advance" system checks from
rhim as security, the sailor being al
lowed to draw upon his wages before
earning them. BY this means he be-
came hopelessly in the power Of the
disreputable "crimp.". It was also I'M
possible for him to ship for voyage
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